writing

Civic Geek Catalog Update

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And here we go, an update – sorry I didn’t do one last week, life got kind of wild.  But now if the Holiday Of Your Choice Spirit has got you looking to do good, here’s more ways to do so at the Civic Geek Catalog!

And as always, it’s sorted by Geeky Interest and Focus!

This time I focused completely on writing subjects and literacy as there’s a lot of programs out there (and a lot more for me to list)

Writing

  • Literacy
    • Behind The Book – New York Based organization that focuses on literacy programs and access to authors for underserved schooles
    • Believe In Books – Supports literacy programs, scholarships, grants, and book distributions in northern New Hampshire and western Mane.
    • Books Through Bars – A multi-state effort, located in Philadelphia, to provide educational books to people in the prison system
    • First Book – Collects and distribute books to programs and schools that serve children in low-income families in the US and Canada.
    • Florida Literacy Coalition – Florida-focused group that supports adult education, adult literacy, and family literacy throughout the state. Many opportunities to get involved
    • Literacy Kansas City – A Kansas community-based literacy effort that uses research to ensure their programs are maximally effective.
    • Lullalee – Lullalee promotes reading, literacy, and social change, including the use of e-learning and technology.
    • Raising Readers in Wyoming – A wyoming-based organization that provides children with books, and parents with ‘prescriptions’ for reading, to promote literacy.
    • Read Indeed – A nonprofit literacy organization, inspired by Maria Keller, that collects and distributes books to children.
    • Reading Partners – Promotes literacy via one-on-one coaching and a structured curriculum

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Way With Worlds: The Game – Positives

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chessboard chess

(Way With Worlds is a weekly column on the art of worldbuilding published at Seventh Sanctum, Muse Hack, and Ongoing Worlds).

A lot of people who wolrdbuild get into roleplaying games. I feel I can make this statement clearly; its true in my experience, and of course I’m not quoting any numbers so I have deniability. I’m covered here!

But seriously, it seems like people get ideas from, put ideas into, or think of ideas in forms of RPGs. I’m not just talking the freeform collective storytelling style of RPGs – I’m talking about the rules-and-dice type RPGs that we’re all familiar with.

We wonder what class a character would be in a given game.

We try and build a character we made in a given game.

We think of game rules as writing guidelines.

We get ideas looking over game rules.

And more . . .

Read more

Civic Geek Catalog Update 11/30/2014

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The latest update for the Civic Geek Catalog is here.  We’ve got things for STEM, Video Games, and Writing enthusiasts!

The catalog is also sorted by Geekery and by Category!  154 entries and climbing!  I hope to do some resorting and mass additions over the holidays.

STEM

  • Education
    • The Hidden Genius Problem – An Oakland-based nonprofit that encourages technological skills and entrepreneurship for young men of color.
  • Equality
    • Platform – A nonprofit working to increase the participation of under-represented people in the “innovation economy.” Has an annual conference and works with YesWeCode.
  • Female Geeks
    • Tech Girls Canada – Provides national leadership for the various industry groups in Canada encouraging women in tech careers.

Video Games

  • Academics
  • General
    • GameConfs – A privately-run website that tracks and provides guides to games-related conference. Open to contributions and assistance.

Writing

  • Books
    • Books Abroad – Promotes literacy and a focus on sustainable escapes from poverty. Recycle used books, and focuses on getting people involved.
    • Borderline Books – UK-based organization collecting overstocks and damaged books and distributed them around the world.
    • GBA Ships – Runs a floating book fair – literally, a ship. A great way to help reach people around the world – and also works with community groups for supply aid and community care.
  • Equality
    • We Need Diverse Books – Focus on promoting diverse narratives in children’s literature. Reaches out to individuals and groups in children’s publishing, and is always looking for people to help out.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.