[OSGeo-Edu] Help with IRS 501(c)(3) question
Daniel Morissette
dmorissette at mapgears.com
Tue Dec 4 10:22:49 PST 2012
Thank you very much Charlie for all those details. I'll try to adapt
this informtaion to fit it into our response tonight.
Daniel
On 12-12-04 10:20 AM, Charles Schweik wrote:
> Hi Dan,
>
> Too many emails coming in from all my students with the end of our
> semester at hand. This one got by me.
>
> On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 11:16 PM, Daniel Morissette
> <dmorissette at mapgears.com <mailto:dmorissette at mapgears.com>> wrote:
>
> Any taker to help answer the questions and demonstrate our education
> focus to the IRS? A coordinated response from the members of this
> group would be ideal.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
>
> 5. Your website states that you provide support for the use of OSGeo
> software in education via curriculum development, outreach and
> support.
> Please explain what this entails.
>
>
> For several years (beginning around 2007) we did develop a first cut at
> an educational inventory system. Tyler Mitchell developed a web form and
> database that allowed members to post metadata on educational material
> that they had developed. We had (and have) a searchable database online
> of that work.
>
> Since then, we have been trying to go the next step and build a
> repository of actual content, creative commons licensed, and stored so
> that others can download the content and create new derivatives. Imagine
> someone translating material or updating something for a new version. We
> set up a Subversion system a few years back but that didn't really catch
> on. This is harder to build than just asking people to post metadata.
> It requires more time by each author and a commitment to share materials
> and make them available. We've gone back and forth about developing
> standard structures and file formats for this content in the way Cameron
> does with the Live DVD.
>
> Suchith Anad at the University of Nottingham has built a next-generation
> system that we were trying to migrate to. He might be able to tell us
> more about the status of that.
>
> I haven't been successful in trying to get a better or more streamlined
> conversation with OSGeo local groups on their educational activities
> locally. There is an opportunity there, I think.
>
> Cameron Shorter has long been advocating for a "tighter" educational
> curriculum system that mimics the production of the Live DVD. I totally
> see and appreciate his vision and his proof in the Live DVD production
> process. This is a collective action issue, and also requires more
> leadership time than I've been able to devote. This is also an opportunity.
>
> Most recently, a few of us (Helena, Phil Davis at the GeoTech Center in
> Texas, myself) have been working on grant proposals to establish a
> standard set of FOSS4G eduational material. One US NSF grant proposal is
> submitted (Davis, PI). One went to Hewlett Packard and was declined. I'm
> starting another now that will help support the vision above and
> hopefully support better international coordination, such as
> face-to-face meetings, perhaps. Suchith and the University of Nottingham
> have really led in the coordination of educational nodes. I have some
> new content for the OSGeo edu webpage that Suchith just sent me which I
> will put up in the next day or two.
>
> In short, the OSGEo edu group is a collection of educators from a
> variety of different international educational institutions and we do
> have strong social capital. Many of us have communicated via this list
> for many years.
>
> 6. Your website refers to both the OSGeo Educational Content
> Inventory
> and the OSGeo Education and Curriculum Project. Are these separate
> programs? Please explain.
>
>
> They overlap and reflect activities that are a little old. The above
> explains where we are now. I need to update the educational pages to
> reflect where we are now.
>
>
>
> 7. With respect to the inventory and project referred above, is
> all of
> the information contributed by volunteers? Do you monitor the
> content
> contributed or take other actions to monitor and maintain the
> inventory
> and/or project? Please explain.
>
>
> Yes, volunteer contributions. I used to post periodic reminders to add
> metadata but haven't done so this past year. Part of that is because of
> our shift toward the U of Nottingham repository.
>
>
>
> 8. The OSGeo Educational Content Inventory contains educational
> material. Is the content of the inventory limited to materials
> related
> to the software you sponsor or is it pertinent to other geospatial
> software? Please explain.
>
>
> It probably depends on the particular links provided by whoever posted it.
>
>
>
> 9. You state that you have an online training material database that
> students can use to find material for self-study. Is this the
> material
> that has been contributed to the OSGeo Educational Content
> inventory? If
> not, please explain.
>
>
> I believe that is referring to the Content Inventory page. My hope is
> that 2013 will bring a new era to this system as the U of Nottingham
> network continues to be refined and also if some of these grant
> proposals come in.
>
> Let me know if you need further clarification.
>
> Cheers
> Charlie Schweik
>
>
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>
> --
> Daniel Morissette
> http://www.mapgears.com/
> Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000
>
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>
>
>
> --
> Charlie Schweik
>
> Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
> Department of Environmental Conservation - http://eco.umass.edu
> Center for Public Policy and Administration - http://masspolicy.org
> Associate Director, National Center for Digital Government - http://ncdg.org
> Author, Internet Success: A Study of Open Source Software (MIT Press,
> 2012) - see http://tinyurl.com/d3e4545
> Outsmart Invasive Species project: http://masswoods.net/outsmart
--
Daniel Morissette
http://www.mapgears.com/
Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000
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