Designing Worlds explores the locations and the work of Nonprofit Commons

Nonprofit Commons, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Today we visit Nonprofit Commons, the location for a number of not-for-profit organisations in Second Life, and learn about how Nonprofit Commons works, and also look at the projects being undertaken by the individual organisations.

From 2pm today, 11th November, you can see the show on the Designing Worlds Vimeo channel at: https://vimeo.com/channels/dworlds and on the Designing Worlds channel at SLArtist at: https://www.slartist.com/browse-dw-videos-1-date.html. And you can join the special Watch Party (also at 2pm SLT) in our studio on Garden of Dreams.

Nonprofit Commons: the ampitheatre, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

We talk to Buffy Beale who, together with Rhiannon Chatnoir, is one of the people behind Nonprofit Commons, and about her own organisation – Bridges for Women Society, based in British Columbia, which has a location on the Nonprofit Commons estate.

Bridges for Women, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Then we talk to the Co-Chair of Nonprofit Commons, Zinnia Zauber of Peninsula College, about the courses she runs for her real life students in her area on Nonprofit Commons and to Namaara MacMoragh, of the Brain Energy Support Team and also the Treasurer of Nonprofit Commons, who shares information about their work – and also her thoughts on nonprofit fundraising in virtual worlds. We also meet up with talkswithmarie (also known as Red!) to talk about her G.I.R.L.S projects, and Dancers Yao who talks about the Elder Voices project and the work they are doing with the United Nations on Lyme Disease.

Elder Voices

Finally, we leave the Nonprofit Commons estate to visit Virtual Ability, and speak with Gentle Heron. Gentle shares with us the benefits the wider not-for-profit community draw from Nonprofit Commons – they good that they do spreads far and wide not just across the grid, but into real life too.

This is an amazing and important show – so do tune in or join us at 2pm SLT at the Watch Party in Garden of Dreams!

Brain Energy Support Team, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

 

 

 

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Designing Worlds visits the Spoonful of Sugar Festival – now on the web!

The Spoonful of Sugar Festival, Autumn 2017. photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

The latest episode of Designing Worlds – where we visit the amazing Spoonful of Sugar Festival in support of Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières – is now on the web!

We talk to Ever Courtois, founder and festival organiser, and to Kasslina Moonglow, the organiser for the Home and Garden Part of the event, as well as Teresa Matfield of T-Spot and Debil Skute of Dekute Decor who are two of the major sponsors of the event.

The Spoonful of Sugar Festival takes place on five regions – Spoonful of Sugar and the four SOS Shopping regions – you’ll find links to all the key locations here. There are over 150 stores, selling clothes, hair, jewellery – and a really great range of home and garden items. The event will continue until October 1st, so you still have plenty of time to come over and join in!

The Spoonful of Sugar Festival, Autumn 2017. photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

In addition, there’s a wide range of activities, and a full programme of events – you’ll find all the details on their website!

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

You can see more about their work here:

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Designing Worlds explores Feed a Smile and the MadPea International Food Festival

The latest episode of Designing Worlds – when we visit two places – the MadPea International Food Fair, and the amazing cause it is supporting – Feed a Smile, a project of Leben und Lernen in Kenia, Live and Learn in Kenya International – is now on the web!

We visit the Feed a Smile region and talk to Brique Topaz – Brique Zeiner in real life, who is the the Founder and Chairwoman of the German charity Leben und Lernen in Kenia, Live and Learn in Kenya International, whose project Feed a Smile is, and which is based on the shores of Lake Nakuru in Kenya, where they are building a school for local children, through sponsorship of individual children, and through events in Second Life, such as the International Food Fair.

Feed A Smile Island, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Brique shows us around areas that are re-creations of the work being done on the ground in Africa, and explains how the Food Fair will be supporting the vital work of building a new kitchen for the school, and we’ll be seeing some films of the work as well.

MadPea International Food Fair, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Then we travel to the International Food Fair and join the organiser, Kestrel Keiroz, to learn what is going on there, with stores, an art gallery and regular music events, and we see some of the amazing food-related items you can purchase (with the money going to Feed a Smile).

 

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Designing Worlds Feeds a Smile with the MadPea International Food Festival

MadPea International Food Fair, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Join us at 2pm SLT today, Monday 20th February, for the new episode of Designing Worlds at our studio in Garden of Dreams, when we’ll be visiting two places – the MadPea International Food Fair, and the amazing cause it is supporting – Feed a Smile.

Feed A Smile Island, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

We visit the Feed a Smile region and talk to Brique Topaz – Brique Zeiner in real life, who is the the Founder and Chairwoman of the German charity Leben und Lernen in Kenia, Live and Learn in Kenya International, whose project Feed a Smile is, and which is based on the shores of Lake Nakuru in Kenya, where they are building a school for local children, through sponsorship of individual children, and through events in Second Life, such as the International Food Fair.

Feed A Smile Island, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Brique shows us around areas that are re-creations of the work being done on the ground in Africa, and explains how the Food Fair will be supporting the vital work of building a new kitchen for the school, and we’ll be seeing some films of the work as well.

Then we travel to the International Food Fair and join the organiser, Kestrel Keiroz, to learn what is going on there, with stores, an art gallery and regular music events, and we see some of the amazing food-related items you can purchase (with the money going to Feed a Smile).

MadPea International Food Fair, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

You still have time to go to the International Food Fair! The entry point is here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Harms%20Way/163/141/1233
You can also visit Feed a Smile at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Feed%20A%20Smile/62/142/22

Join us for a fascinating and very moving show at 2pm SLT.

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in to the web at 2pm SLT on Monday for a showing on SLartist or on Treet – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds, on the SLArtist.com channel, the Aview TV Designing Worlds channel – or on the Designing Worlds blog.

Feed A Smile Island, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

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Designing Worlds visits Virtual Ability – now on the web!

Virtual Ability and Health Info Islands, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

The latest episode of Designing Worlds – a visit to the a visit to Virtual Ability estate, a nonprofit that has created online community of support for people with physical, mental, sensory, developmental, and emotional disabilities and their families, friends, and caregivers – is now on the web!

 

And a full transcript of the programme is available here.

We hear from Gentle Heron, one of the three founders of Virtual Ability, how the Iasland – and the nonprofit  – came to be founded, and something of the design principles that underlie the islands, making them accessible to many kinds of disabilities. And we’ll be learning how they support new residents coming in to Second Life too.

We take a look at Health Island and explore the reading rooms, libraries and displays of various kinds – and above all the Path of Support that offers links the the myriad organisations that have a Second Life presence for a wide range of conditions.

Health Info Island, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Then we visit some of the residential islands that form a part of Virtual Ability, and meet some of the residents there who talk about their experiences, together with Stepinwolf Darkstone, the Cape Heron Apartments Manager.

Finally, accompanied by Gentle Heron and Suellen Heartsong, we visit a fascinating – and very informative – research project that has been developed on Virtual Health Adventures with Virtual Ability supporting a research project on diabetic foot health – a really important issue for the growing number of people with diabetes.

Supported Housing on Cape Heron, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

If you want to find out more about Virtual Ability, you can visit the website here: http://www.virtualability.org/
Or visit Virtual Ability Island here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/127/138/23
Orientation Center: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/170/100/23
Consumer Health Library: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/109/128/24
Path of Support: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/150/66/23
Fenimore Art Museum: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cape%20Able/131/125/23
Diabetic Foot Health: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Health%20Adventures%20I/148/216/25

Additional Website mentioned on the show:
Universal Design website — ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud

Virtual Ability Island, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

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Designing Worlds’ visit to Virtual Health Adventures is now on the web!

Virtual Health Adventures. photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

The latest episode of Designing Worlds – a visit to Virtual Health Adventures, a fascinating academic project in Second Life  offering very practical help to a disadvantaged community, people who have undergone a real life amputation of at least one upper or lower limb – is now on the web.

 

 

The project is assessing the effectiveness of delivering healthcare through a virtual world environment by working with amputees  to explore ways of best helping them adjust to the changes in their lives, and working with prosthetic limbs.  The project in the real world and in Second Life is led by Dr Sandra Winkler at the Nova Southeastern University, and  is funded by an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality  Grant, in association with the Veterans Agency and Virtual Ability, a nonprofit based within Second Life.

Virtual Health Adventures. photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Dr Winkler, together with Jim, who is one of the amputees who has been a client on the program, and Eme Capalini, who is the chief builder on the two Virtual Health Adventures islands, give us a guided tour of the islands, and an insight into how the project has worked.  The data is not yet final, but we discuss some of the anecdotal evidence that has emerged.

You can learn more about this project on their website, and on their new You Tube channel, or visit the main island here (the second island is private and used for research).

Virtual Health Adventures. photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

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Designing Worlds visits Virtual Health Adventures

Virtual Health Adventures, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Join Designing Worlds at 2pm today, Monday 9th November at our studio in Garden of Dreams, as we visit a fascinating academic project in Second Life – that is offering very practical help to a disadvantaged community – people who have undergone a real life amputation of at least one upper or lower limb.

The project is assessing the effectiveness of delivering healthcare through a virtual world environment by working with amputees  to explore ways of best helping them adjust to the changes in their lives, and working with prosthetic limbs.  The project in the real world and in Second Life is led by Dr Sandra Winkler at the Nova Southeastern University, and  is funded by an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality  Grant, in association with the Veterans Agency and Virtual Ability, a nonprofit based within Second Life.

Virtual Health Adventures, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

Dr Winkler, together with Jim, who is one of the amputees who has been a client on the program, and Eme Capalini, who is the chief builder on the two Virtual Health Adventures islands, give us a guided tour of the islands, and an insight into how the project has worked.  The data is not yet final, but we discuss some of the anecdotal evidence that has emerged.

You can learn more about this project on their website, and on their new You Tube channel, or visit the main island here (the second island is private and used for research).

Virtual Health Adventures, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

It is going to be a great show, so make sure you join us, at 2pm today!

Or – if you can’t attend in person – tune in to the web at 2pm SLT on Monday for a showing on SLartist or on Treet – or catch it later in the week on our shows page on the Treet.tv web site at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds, on the SLArtist.com channel, the Aview TV Designing Worlds channel – or on the Designing Worlds blog.

Virtual Health Adventures, photographed by Wildstar Beaumont

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