We’re getting close to Mozilla Service Week — it’s just 18 days away! We’ve had over 4,300 hours pledged and over 2,200 volunteer opportunities posted. We’re in the process of rolling out action templates for Service Week and OneWebDay for those that would like to create their own opportunities or need a little more flexibility They’re sets of actions and resources that you can use to help non-profits, organizations and individuals improve their experience online and allow them to better leverage the Web. Check them out:
- Internet Health Check: Online privacy and security are major concerns for everyone. The Internet Health Check provides four easy steps to update a computer’s browser and plug-ins. You can perform Internet Health Checks for an organization or friends and family.
- Digital Marketing: The Digital Marketing Template was created to help Service Week volunteers get organizations set up with a preliminary social media marketing framework (see Chelsea Novak’s blog for more details). Social Media tools can greatly help an NPO connect with its community, donors and the general public – for free!
We’re hoping these templates make it easier for you to act! If you have any ideas on new ones or would like create some, please comment here. A few ideas to keep in mind if you’d like to use these templates or others:
- Take a moment to pledge your hours.
- Share your plans or stories on Mozilla Service Week’s site — it will help provide inspiration for others.
- Challenge your friends to do this as well using PledgeBank (i.e. I will perform 10 Internet Health Checks if 20 of my friends do so as well).
And, remember to have fun!
As you know, we launched the Mozilla Creative Collective today! To kick things off we’re hosting a mini design challenge around Mozilla Service Week. We’re hoping your creativity and artistic skills can help inspire action and ultimately better the Web experience for people and organizations around the world.
Here are some ideas:
- Craft a flyer, poster or banner (the offline kind!) to get the word out.
- Design new site badges, Twitter backgrounds or blog themes.
- Create a new Persona for Mozilla Service Week. Check out the current one.
- Dream up a new t-shirt design for the community store.
- Create an avatar for Facebook or other social networks.
As inspiration check out The Royal Order’s blog post about the design direction of the Mozilla Service Week site. In a nutshell:
- The Mozilla Service Week site aims to be inspirational and make participants feel part of a bigger movement that has the ability to affect change and better the Web for people all the world.
- The site strives to reflect the organic, participatory and people-driven nature of the Mozilla project.
- We drew from the humanistic style of 1930′s WPA murals which evoked people working together and helping each other for the sake of the greater good.
You’re encouraged to use existing Mozilla Service Week elements (such as the logo) to create your own unique interpretation of the “take action” theme. In other words, your designs can look entirely different from the other Service Week materials…it’s up to you. As
inspiration, check out:
Please submit your designs to the Mozilla Creative Collective tagged with “mozservice09″ by September 14th. We’ll be sending t-shirts to our favorites!
Lastly, you can make a difference by helping an organization with their design needs as part of Mozilla Service Week. There are opportunities for both Web design and graphic design. Social Actions for instance can use some help with a new Twitter background and more!
Let’s use our creativity to make a difference this Mozilla Service Week!
Mozilla Service Week is coming up in just one month – September 14 to 21, 2009! The driving force behind service week is our strong belief that everyone should know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a great experience when they’re online. You can have a hand in helping organizations and people all over the world experience the joy of using the Web too!
Here’s how to help:
- Choose from a list of service opportunities: Search our partner sites (Idealist & betterplace.org) for a volunteer opportunity near you or anywhere around the world! Our site is now available in Spanish, Italian, French and German as well!
- Take part in “Earth Day for the Web”: We’ve partnered with OneWebDay on September 22nd, which aims to celebrate and preserve the Web as an important commons accessible to everyone. This year’s theme is “Digital Inclusion” and there will be local service events that you can join!
- Create your own: Reach out to a local school, organization or people near you to find out what sort of technology help they need. Here are some examples:
- William Reynolds of the University of Virginia is going to teach his student council how to use social media to better communicate with students.
- Tim Hogan and The Royal Order design firm are helping the Tutor/Mentor Connection in Chicago rearchitect and redesign their current site.
- William D. of the UK is creating a guide on how the Internet can benefit people of different age groups, different career paths and different levels of technical knowledge.
- Follow our lead: If you need an idea of how to help we’re providing a series of simple activities that can help make the Web better. First up is an “Internet Health Check” with easy steps on how to keep people safe on the Web. We’ll roll out more in the coming weeks!
Mozilla Service Week wouldn’t be possible without the incredible community and our wonderful partners who are supporting the program. Idealist.org and betterplace.org have stepped up to help organizations list service needs and help volunteers find them. Major names in non-profit technology, service and social entrepreneurship spaces have joined on as as “Friends” of the program to help promote Mozilla Service Week to the various communities that they serve which include schools, NPOs, NGOs and more. “Friends” of the project include:
We hope you’ll join us in Mozilla Service Week and make a difference by helping people and organizations use something you love – the Web! If you’re an organization in need of help, learn more here. For more details on how to volunteer visit here or join our online workshop tomorrow, August 19th at 9 a.m. PDT. And, remember to register, pledge your hours and share your stories on mozillasevice.org!
Since we announced Mozilla Service Week (September 14 – 21, 2009) in June we’ve gained a lot of momentum and support. We’ve asked people to step up and make a difference by using the Web to better their community, and it turns out there are quite a few people who share our deep commitment and belief that everyone should have an awesome Web experience! Service work is nothing new for us either. The Mozilla community has a long legacy of volunteer work that has helped turn the Web around and we’ve already got 2,500 service hours pledged!
The project has resonated with the current Mozilla community, as well as organizations in the non-profit technology, service and social entrepreneurship spaces. We have a great group of new Mozilla Service Week “Friends” who’ve signed on to help promote our service week to their communities. They’re bringing in a new energy and set of participants to the project!
OneWebDay (September 22, 2009) which is an “Earth Day” for the Web also joins Mozilla Service Week’s group of partners, including Idealist.org and BetterPlace.org. The theme for this year’s global celebration and service day is “Digital Inclusion” and aligns nicely with the Mozilla mission. More to come on this!
Learn more on how you can sign on to get service help from the Mozilla community or make a difference!
Is your non-profit or community organization in need of technology help? Do you need help with your website, setting up WiFi at your office, or learning how to use Twitter? If so, Mozilla would love to hear from you!
This September, the Mozilla community is helping fellow public benefit organizations. During Mozilla Service Week (Sept 14-21), people all over the world will conduct public acts of technology-related service. Our community is looking for volunteer opportunities. By utilizing our community’s talents for writing, designing, programming, developing, and all-around technical know-how, we believe we can make the Web — and the world — a better place for everyone. Here are just a few ideas of how we can help:
- Help build or upgrade a website.
- Teach you how social networks and Twitter can help you find new members and supporters.
- Set up a wireless network at your office or meeting place.
- Translate your offering into another language.
- Show you how to use VoIP (Internet telephony) to help reduce your costs.
There are countless ways technology could help improve the great work you do, and the Mozilla community wants to help make that difference.
How can your non-profit or community group get help?
We are working with the volunteer organization Idealist, so if you already have a need in mind, you can register your organization at Idealist and describe the technical help you are looking for. Mozilla’s volunteers are searching Idealist and will locate your organization.
You can also find out more on how to list your needs and find volunteers on the Mozilla Service Week website. Furthermore, if you need additional guidance you can contact us.
Mozilla Service Week Volunteers
You can already start helping by contacting and checking in with organizations. Please talk them through what they need to do, and even help them post.
The Mozilla community has a history of changing the the Web in all kinds of amazing ways.
Join us for Mozilla Service Week, as we help you change the world.
Wondering how you can get a head start on Mozilla Service Week (Sept. 7 – 21, 2009)? You can roll up your sleeves and help an organization in need of technology-related service now or help get the word out! This summer it will be critical to not only expose Mozilla Service Week to would-be volunteers worldwide, but help identify and approach non-profits or local organizations that can use our help.
That’s where you come in — the Mozilla community has always been adept at spreading the word! Help drive thousands of privileges to serve and hundreds of opportunities by taking a few moments to promote Mozilla Service Week. Here’s how:
- Download site badges, banners, and buttons to add to your blog, your social network profile, or your email signature.
- Download a Mozilla Service Week flyer. Print it out and hand it out at a local event or post at work, at school, or at your community center.
- Start planning your service activity and challenge your friends to join you using PledgeBank.
- Get the word out by posting news, video or pictures on your blog, twitter, or social network site. Tag your posts with “mozservice09″ so they’re easy to find.
- Share your story of what you’re planning to do for Mozilla Service Week here or on your favorite social networking site.
- Flaunt your support for Mozilla Service Week with a customized Persona, a skin for Firefox.
Everyone should have the opportunity to know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a good experience when they’re online. So if you have a talent for writing, designing, programming, developing, all-around technical know-how or a knack for spreading the word, join the Mozilla Service Week effort today.
Today Mozilla launches the very first Mozilla Service Week. During the week of September 14-21, 2009, we’re asking people to step up and make a difference by using the Web to better their community. Mozilla is a global community with a firm mission to make the Web better for everybody. When members of our community decide to take action, they have the power to make a serious difference.
We’re looking for people who want to share, give, engage, create, and collaborate by offering their time and talent to local public benefit organizations, non-profits and people who need their help. Our goal is to help empower people to:
- Teach senior citizens how to use the Web.
- Show a non-profit how to use social networking to grow its base of supporters.
- Install a wireless network at a school.
- Create Web how-to materials for a library’s computer cluster.
- Refurbish hardware for a local computer center.
- Help a non-profit update its website or database.
Everyone should have the opportunity to know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a good experience when they’re online. So if you have a talent for writing, designing, programming, developing, or all-around technical know-how, join Mozilla Service Week. In Mark Surman’s words (executive director of the Mozilla Foundation), “We’re inviting people to get involved with Mozilla in an active way, even if they can’t code, test or localize. It let’s anyone and everyone feel like they are contributing to the cause of building a better internet.” Together we can make the Web a better place for everyone!
Over the coming weeks you can look forward to Mozilla Service Week being available in many languages and with additional partners thanks to the Mozilla community’s help.
To learn more on how to make a difference by either volunteering or listing your organization’s needs, go to mozillaservice.org. Your Internet skills, no matter how novice or advanced, can change people’s lives and make the Web better for everyone.
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