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Global Kids Receives Grant From MacArthur Foundation to Lead Exploration of Virtual Worlds

Chicago, IL, August 8, 2007 – Global Kids, Inc. has received a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to accelerate the exploration of virtual worlds.  Global Kids will use the funding to spark discussion about the use of virtual worlds for the public good. 

Global Kids the foremost nonprofit in New York City specifically dedicated to educating students in underserved communities about international and public policy issues, will organize the discourse at the Second Life Community Convention.  The conference, which is expected to draw hundreds of virtual world “residents” from around the globe, will be held in Chicago August 24-26.  The Second Life Community Convention will feature a series of world events examining the increasing presence of social justice organizations in virtual worlds.

“Virtual worlds are already a burgeoning frontier for business and entertainment, but the public sector has been slow to get involved,” said President Jonathan Fanton of the MacArthur Foundation, which recently announced a year-long exploration of virtual worlds. “From MacArthur’s recent experience, it is clear that residents of virtual worlds are hungry for ‘in-world’ opportunities to engage on serious social issues and to act on their philanthropic impulses.”

The MacArthur Foundation is making grants to Global Kids and Common Sense Media to weave a non-profit thread into the four main tracks of the conference: business, education, social, and machinima (digital animation created in gaming environments). Each track will feature a panel focusing on how non-profit organizations are utilizing virtual worlds to extend their mission and reach. These special panels include:

•    Education keynote speaker Connie Yowell, Director of Education at the MacArthur Foundation, will address the importance of virtual worlds for informal learning and non-profits. (10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 25)

•    A teen-led mini-machinima festival will feature teens from two non-profit programs showcasing their work using Second Life to make animated movies about social and global issues. (1:30 p.m., Saturday August 25)

•    A panel will discuss best practices for bringing non-profits into Second Life, including such participants as the Alliance Library System, TechSoup.org, and representatives from Linden Lab. (10:00 a.m., Sunday, August 26)

•    Philanthropy funders, including foundations, corporation, and government organizations that are supporting work in virtual worlds, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Learn and Serve America, will discuss the role of philanthropy in virtual worlds. (2:30 p.m., Sunday, August 26)

•    “An Educational Non-profit’s History of the Teen Grid: Global Kids’ Adventure in Best Practices” will explore educational activities in the Teen Grid of Second Life. (3:30 p.m., Saturday, August 25)

Second Life is one of several “virtual worlds” that offers a three-dimensional environment where online participants from around the globe are represented by avatars in social and workplace interactions that mimic and reinvent the physical world. Participation in virtual worlds has been growing rapidly. Second Life now has millions of users and a growing non-profit community.


About the Second Life Community Convention (SLCC)
Since its inception, the SLCC has been a volunteer-run event bringing people together in the physical world to celebrate the 3D platform of Second Life. The third annual SLCC will be held August 24-26, 2007 at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago.  More information is available at www.slcc2007.wordpress.com.

About Global Kids
Founded in 1989, Global Kids’ mission is to transform urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders by engaging them in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences. Through its leadership development and academic enrichment programs, Global  Kids educates youth about critical international and domestic issues and promotes their engagement in civil life and the democratic process.

In 2006, Global Kids became the first non-profit to develop a dedicated space for programming in the virtual world of Teen Second Life (TSL). Global Kids brings students from its New York-based programs into the organization’s headquarters to conduct youth leadership programming and stream audio and video of major international events. This innovative program is conducted in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation, UNICEF, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Youth Venture, and the International Criminal Court, among others. More information on this program can be found on the blog http://holymeatballs.org/second_life/ and on Global Kids’ website at www.GlobalKids.org.

About the MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grant making institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition. Mac Arthur’s $50 million digital media and learning initiative aims to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. More information is available at www.macfound.org or www.digitallearning.macfound.org.

Media Contacts
SLCC – Randal Moss, Randal.Moss@cancer.org, (404) 329-7573
Global Kids – Jonah Kokodyniak, jonah@globalkids.org, (212) 226-2116
MacArthur Foundation – Jen Humke, jhumke@macfound.org, (312) 726-8000