University Engagement / Newcomers and Local Groups

University Engagement

How do we get started involved in universities and groups?

• There’s usually one group that’s already familiar with linux and already engaged
• Grass roots: flyers, posters, postcards, stickers, etc. engage those pre existing groups and grow
• Students ambassadors: take qualified applications from interested students
• Someone within the foundation would need to get ambassadors set up and check on their progress/provide them with help
• We supply them with stickers or shirts—items to get them more excited and share the word (SWAG SWAG SWAG things they can share to get others interested)
• Ambassadors could start a club, and get rewards for the more active they are
• Sponsor them to go to conferences as a reward
• We need to set clear expectations of the student ambassadors and how we measure their impact within their community
• It’s also helpful to have someone from GNOME who can come to their group and visit them, also give them talks, etc.
• Reaching out to faculty in the departments, students, clubs. Getting the administrators onboard because they’re going to need to be advisors
• What universities do we start with, pick the ones where we know there’s already a strong use. Gain a partnership
• Need to document the process and systems to spread widely. Start with a pilot program, create the system, then package it and spread it around to other areas with other contributors and with other students.
• We need to find the active students, and support their efforts in making the “club” or community happen at their university.
• Go in with the students as linux first, GNOME second.
• Important to know when the big events at the universities happen and not schedule linux events on the same date

ACTION: put together a plan, share it with the community, and find community contributors. Pilot with one or two universities.

How to keep it going?

• Chairman, secretary, plus communicator to talk with the gnome rep. setup within student club, but also contacts from the communities
• Rules on what years can take positions just so not everyone gets replaced at the same time in one election.
• When students graduate, maybe they can become the regional leads. They can assist and they can come back as alumni rep.
• Rewards to keep groups active and motivated (meritocracy system):
• Attending GUADEC (or other events) with sponsorship
• SWAG (stickers, t-shirts, water bottles, etc)
• Recommendation letters (Neil? President of the board)
• Certificates

Local User Groups

• We need local leaders who are active, can blog and get messages out. (Julita was recognized by lots of companies because of the things she blogs)
• Think about reaching urms (underrepresented minorities) as well
• Local teams don’t have to just be code
• Maybe we can have meetups in local areas where we invite all kinds of local professionals and give them a demonstration on the tools they can use, what tools they have available to them. It doesn’t have to be a talk about linux, just about the tools and the benefits for the company. Then after the presentation they can talk about linux.
• Get involved in local professional meetup groups (networking groups). Find the groups that already exist and see if you can get involved and give a talk.
• Create ambassadors in local areas and give them support to foster community.
• Need to make sure that the newcomer journey is easy and clear for the ambassadors to explain. Ambassadors need to be able to connect people.

Follow Up Items

• ACTION: Onboarding process: Can we make a youtube video explaining how to get started contributed. Tenzing will be in the video! Can we use freehive? Or use screen capture and voice over. Expand later and make more how to videos for everything.

• ACTION: University Team: Form a team, that team comes up with marketing strategic plan, ambassador outline and expectations, (Tenzing, Sigu, StellaMaris,?)

Original Notes: https://etherpad.gnome.org/p/University_and_Local_Outreach