In 2014, Hive Learning Networks went global. We crafted a developmental model that addressed a real demand from individuals and organizations who were interested in bringing Hive to their city. We created an informational hub site that began to lay the framework for local networks becoming globally connected by a shared set of values. We also hosted our first-ever Hive Global meet-up at MozFest, with over 100 attendees from nearly 20 cities around the world.
To achieve these goals this quarter we have been focused on the following:
Getting more clarity about how we determine when a city moves into the Hive Learning Community phase. Building on the developmental model, we’ve identified a few additional benchmarks by which individuals or teams working together become ready to take on official Hive status. First, they have a team in place to help drive the work forward, and a stated mission that is at once connected to Hive Global but also highly localized, to meet the needs of their community, or to address specific local concerns or opportunities. They may even have a few community partners on-board as collaborators who also help facilitate programs and events. They are meeting with some regularity and are making concerted efforts to seek funding or other means for growing and sustaining their community. In this specific case, we’ve heard that having a presence on the global hub site is an integral asset that lends credibility and marks their connection to a larger effort.
Bringing Meghan McDermott on-board as Director of Hive City Strategy. She works closely with Mozilla staff and Hive leadership to envision how to sustainably impact current Hive locations as well as to develop strategy to support growing Hive activities in 30 cities by the end of 2015. Explaining her role, she shared that “alignment with municipal policies, the philanthropic community, and other stakeholders who range from colleague networks to community organizers will be key to Hive’s ambitious goals to mobilize more educators, create amazing content and projects, catalyze innovations across cities, and to grow its national presence as a network for new learning.”
We have also built and further developed tools and systems to support Hive growth.
Better opportunities to connect:
-
We are now hosting monthly community calls, as a way to connect cities to each other, and to share experiences and issues that might arise and new communities come on board. On each call, a representative from an emerging Hive Learning Community provides an update on their progress and challenges, and we also hear from a member organization from an existing Hive Learning Network, who shares specific information about programs they work on as part of Hive, as well as what it means to their organization to be part of their local Hive community.
- We have also been working to build out the functionality of a global Hive Directory. Not only is it a way to see “who” (organizations and individuals) is involved with Hive in different cities, but the Expertise Exchange feature aims to pair those looking for certain skills and expertise with those who can offer and share it. The directory is currently being used in a few existing Hives, but the hope is that as new Hive Learning Communities join the network, they will also participate and find it easier to connect across cities. We’ll continue to enhance the directory, in both design and functionality into Q2.
Providing easier access to resources:
-
We recently updated the Hive Cookbook , a resource meant to explain the Hive model, ways to get involved, examples of successful programs and how to engage your community partners and stakeholders. We consulted with several emerging Hive communities to ensure the document was easy to navigate and included key information requested. It is a living document that we’ll continue to add to as new resources are generated.
- At the very end of 2014, we also launched a new Resources page on the Hive Global site, to surface some key documents, templates, logos and other useful materials. Here you’ll find everything from a sample invitation for a Hive Pop-Up event and the Hive WordPress theme, to a slide presentation for a first convening of stakeholders to help identify shared and localized goals for moving your community forward.
Better documentation:
- Please sign up for the Hive Global newsletter! Each month we’re sharing updates from across Hive cities, and have plans to showcase more individuals and projects to provide a clearer picture of where we’re having impact and who is behind making it all happen.
- In addition to sharing updates from Hive Global, we’ve also instituted a new simple form for emerging communities to keep us up-to-speed on progress in their city. This way, we can stay apprised of upcoming events, new partners and projects, and also help provide supports when necessary.
So far, community calls and monthly updates have enabled us to better understand what’s going well in the process of starting a new Hive, as well as what challenges people face as they look to bring on stakeholders, seek funding, etc. Moving into Q2, we’ll be working to create best practices and other models of success from across existing Hive Learning Networks, that will help inform and inspire other communities, and support their growth.
We’re also excited about the newest Hive Learning Communities in Denver, Mombasa, Vancouver and Bangalore. Stay tuned, in a few weeks we’ll share updates on what’s happening in each of these cities.
The Hive Learning Network is a dynamic, global community of passionate educators, makers, innovators and youth, and we’ll continue to build platforms, resources and opportunities for this diverse group of people to share, learn and work together.
