Betterverse: Nonprofits in the Virtual World

Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge Finalists Announced

We just got the press release from the Federal Consortium of Virtual Worlds announcing the finalists in their "Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge."  As previously reported, the US military is sponsoring a "Federal Virtual World Challenge" to get the public to submit ideas for "innovative and interactive training and analysis solutions in virtual worlds."  It's hard to understand the specifics of the projects being proposed, but they have some interesting titles, including the "Tredpro Fusion Fire System," the "Mars Expedition Strategy Challenge," and something called "Chicken Chase."

Finalists are eligible for the $25,000 grand prize and are invited to demo their proposals at the Defense Users’ GameTech Conference in Orlando March 29-31, 2010.

[Link to FVWC website.]

The full press release follows after the jump...

US Department of Energy Opens "Energy" Island in Second Life

I just got word that the US Department of Energy has just opened up a new sim in Second Life, called appropriately "Energy."

You can reportedly smashing into your friends as sub-atomic particles, take a tour of a super collider, or look at a variety of DOE informational resources.  I like how lush and verdant the island is, a reminder of how our energy consumption effects the ecosystem around us.

To check it out, head to the Energy Island at this teleport link.

   

Conference on Government Collaboration in Virtual Worlds May 13-14 in DC

Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds from Eric Hackathorn on Vimeo.

We got word that the Federal Consortium of Virtual Worlds will be holding a conference on "Collaboration: The Roadmap Forward" from May 13-14, 2010 at the National Defense University in Washington DC. The Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds consists of members from government, academia, and corporate sectors interested in improving government collaboration through virtual worlds.

The conference will feature keynotes by Edward (Ted) Castronova, author of Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun is Changing Reality, Clark Aldrich, author of Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds and Eric Hackathorn of the NOAA.

For those that cannot attend, they will be live-video streaming the conference program on the web and into a variety of virtual worlds.  There is no cost to attend the conference online.

Registration will open by February 15. See the conference website for more info.

Report on State Dept Event on Virtual Worlds as Green Workplaces (video)

My buddy Draxtor files another machinima reportage, this time on the US State Department event on "Virtual Worlds as Green Workplaces that happened earlier this month.

I was there, along with a smart crowd of avatars, talking with a range of experts in using virtual worlds as collaborative green(er) workplaces.  I was particularly impressed by how IBM has been thinking about and using virtual environments to support their tens of thousands of employees around the globe.  Among the applications that they have innovated are using virtual worlds for new worker orientation, collaborative meetings of R&D teams, and training in how to use new software applications.

Copenhagen Climate Change Talks Continue: Watch Live in Second Life

Just a quick reminder that the Copenhagen climate change talks are continuing until December 18. For those that can not make it to Denmark, OneWorld UK has been simulcasting live coverage in Second Life,  from 5am to 11:30am PST everyday. This includes a Q&A session happening around 8 - 10:30am PST.  Watch and participate live in various locations, including OneWorld Meeting Island (click here to teleport.)

While you are there, check out the neat recreation of Malawian William Kamkwamba's homemade windmill in Second Life (click here to teleport).  The OneClimate folks shared the story about Kamkwamba's astounding creativity, which follows after the jump...

Live Stream from Copenhagen Climate Change Talks into Second Life Dec 7-18

Starting today, December 7, OneWorld UK will be bringing the Copenhagen climate change talks live to the world via Second Life, webcasting, and Twitter. From December 7-18, audiences in the virtual world will be able to get live updates on the status of the negotiations, participate in Q&A sessions with key players, and get involved in critical debates during the conference.  

This ambitious effort builds upon OneWorld UK's coverage of the Posnan and Bali climate change talks over the past two years.  Sounds like they have really ramped up their efforts to bring in as much public participation as possible in the government negotiations.  

Beyond observing the talks, virtual attendees can also check out the many information kiosks in the "350 Pavilion" set up by various eco-groups (click here to teleport). 

Head to http://www.oneclimate.net/copenhagen for more info and the live webcast. And read on for the complete announcement about "Virtual Copenhagen"....

IBM Creates Second Life Sim to Advertise Virtual Forbidden City

This is interesting. IBM and the Chinese Palace Museum have created a Second Life sim as a 3D advertisement for another virtual world, "Beyond Space and Time," a faithful recreation of the Forbidden City in China.  I did a mini-review of Beyond Space and Time about a year ago here.

I would imagine that it was fairly easy to create a Second Life version of their custom-made virtual world, since they already had a lot of the 3D assets and multimedia created. The Second Life version is limited to the main plaza you begin in at the full-blown virtual world, with a few videos and text showing what you will find in Beyond Space and Time.  Still, it's quite beautiful to walk around in.

Check out the Second Life sim here and the full virtual world at BeyondSpaceandTime.org.

US State Department Sponsors Virtual Panel on Green Workplaces December 3

My friend In Kenzo sends out news that the US State Department is sponsoring another virtual panel discussion, this time on "Virtual Worlds as Green Workplaces" next Thursday, December 3, at 9am PST. 

The panel of experts will include : Barbara Lombardo of IBM, Judy Wade of Linden Lab, Hanno Tietgens of BUERO X Media Lab, and Anna Jaeger of TechSoup Global. Together they will consider whether virtual worlds are viable collaborative workspaces and how these space can impact energy use and other environmental factors.

Moderated by Bill May, of the Office of Innovative Engagement, US Department of State, International Information Programs. The public event will take place on the Annenberg sim (teleport link). Get there early to ensure a seat!

I love that it's become routine for the US government to be holding virtual events on public policy issues! (Previous panel on cross cultural collaboration and architecture.)

Official announcement after the jump...

Tufts spurs community planning in Massachusetts town using Second Life, Web2.0 Apps

Here's a very innovative, new media / virtual world effort to encourage public engagement with community planning. The urban planning department at Tufts University is working with the town of Akton, MA to launch an initiative they call the "Open Neighborhood" project. 

The effort combines a Second Life sim designed to look like downtown Akton, a crowd-sourced Google Map interface, and a web app to visualize what different configurations of downtown might look like.  All of these tools at intended to help Akton residents envision how their town might develop over the next years and what they would like to see built.  According to the Tufts Daily, volunteers will be working with Akton citizens to help them to navigate through the Second Life virtual Akton, add to the Google Map, and play with the web app redesigning their town.  The Akton government will then take into account all of this input as they move forward with plans to redesign the town.

The organizers seem realistic about the outcomes of this effort. “We would love to see hundreds of people from Acton, people that have never been involved, come out and have a really positive experience, but we are realistic and this method of involvement is really novel,” project lead Professor Justin Hollander is quoted as saying.

More details in the Tufts Daily.

Supporting Military Amputees through Virtual Worlds

When I heard that Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life, were releasing a "behind-the-firewall" enterprise-level version of their virtual world, I have to say that my first thought was, "Wow, that's cool. But I don't see how this will be of any help to most nonprofit and public institutions."

Well, low and behold, one of the first applications of this enterprise-level solution will be to help support military amputees in their recovery and adjustment back to society!  Here's what Dusan Writer posts on his excellent blog:

Virtual worlds can provide military amputees with an opportunity to enhance their overall quality of life, expedite their reintegration into society, and improve their physical and mental wellness. ADL Company Inc. (ADL) and Virtual Ability, Inc. (VAI) announced today the start of a project to establish best practices and protocols for the provision of on-line peer-to-peer support services to this community, with funding from the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) of the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC).

I'm incredibly excited to see the fruits of this innovative use of virtual worlds.  Returning veterans with amputated limbs are a population that can make a very strong case for the public good possibilities of these digital tools.