Change the World by Working in a Virtual One

Blogs, wikis, and podcasts are just a few of the burgeoning tools nonprofits use to connect, engage constituents, and collaborate. All have revolutionized the way people interact online, but a new 3-D, virtual world called Second Life is taking things one step further.

Linden Lab's Second Life is an immersive online world where nearly 850,000 (and growing) residents — also called "avatars" — can purchase their own property on land allotments, interact with other avatars, build anything imaginable, and buy and sell products and services. But unlike reality, Second Life avatars can also fly, make copies of certain products (say, a t-shirt) without any new materials, or take on completely different form — a fox, a space alien, or a hybrid of the two. The options are limited only by your imagination.

Nonprofits are just beginning to use Second Life to promote their causes, network with one another, and creatively further their missions — paving the way for other organizations to do the same.

Three such nonprofit trailblazers are Dave Pentecost (also known as avatar "Usu Ventura"), Barry Joseph ("Globalkids Bixby"), and Evonne Heyning ("In Kenzo"), all of whom work with children's organizations in Second Life. These nonprofit professionals have all used basic technological know-how and some imagination to raise funds, generate awareness, and increase participation in their causes through Second Life.

TechSoup caught up with Pentecost, Joseph, and Heyning to find out how they created a presence in Second Life, what advice they would offer other organizations, and how this new virtual world has benefited their causes.

Dave Pentecost

Technology Director, Lower Eastside Girls Club of New York
Avatar: Usu Ventura

How does your organization use Second Life?

I've been a Second Life resident for only two months, since just before TechSoup's Mixed Reality event on July 18, 2006. With the help of Techsoup and Second Life Library, I've created a kiosk for the Lower Eastside Girls Club (an extracurricular program providing a variety of services to girls age 8 to 18 and their families) that introduces our programs and future building plans. We've begun the process of finding a place for the girls, many of whom are between 13 and 17 years old, on the Teen Grid in Second Life. We recruited interns from New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program to help with our future Second Life projects.

Why did your organization decide to create a presence in Second Life?

As often happens, one person begins exploring Second Life and sees the potential there for immersive, interactive learning and building. I was intrigued by the 3D building tools and saw a way to integrate them with our science and technology programs, including teaching basic geometry and exploring science destinations in Second Life.

How was the project planned? What sort of expertise did you need?

As with other programs in the past, such as animation and podcasting, the idea sounded intriguing and we made steps toward setting up a class for interested girls as a pilot. The new programs for this year will start one month from now and this will give us an opportunity to figure out if we'll move forward with a larger presence in Second Life. If we decide to have a major presence in Second Life, we will have to plan carefully, and evaluate our own building skills to see if we have to hire a designer or builder to assist us.

Expertise is always an issue. We have found some potential interns with an interest, but no real experience in Second Life. I find that I will have to teach the class myself (though we would prefer a female teacher), at least in the early stages as I train the interns along with the girls.

How did the project unfold? What were some of the challenges? What worked well?

It's still unfolding. I am the scout, out on the frontier, happily spending some of my time learning the tools and finding interesting places. Fortunately, I have that time at the moment. But as I have talked to other organizations who have begun working in Second Life, I see that we all tend to underestimate how much time it requires, first to learn and then to build.

One of the biggest challenges is explaining to people (including my wife, who is executive director of the Lower Eastside Girls Club) what it is that I find so compelling about the virtual world. I have never been a gamer and I never wanted to wander around in someone else's fantasy. So why does this seem to offer so much potential? Creating your own space to communicate your interests is part of it. An even larger part is the personal networking. There are issues around "Who's really behind that avatar?" but I find the level of interaction with the people I've met to be surprisingly high. They have a true generosity of spirit and time. After years of solitary computer work, the possibility of collaboration in a shared online enterprise is very appealing.

How much time and money have you invested?

Enormous amounts of time, to start, although not everyone might get as obsessed as I did. Since it has been just me learning the tools and gathering information, the actual money outlay has been low. People have been generous with donations of land for the project, and most tools, scripts, and display items are free. That could change as the organization gets more involved. The desire to have an island of one's own pops up pretty early in the process, but I don't think that is in the cards for us. We will have to see how the classes go: whether we find enough girls really interested, enough projects that are worthwhile, and enough time amid all the other programs that we offer. Right now, we're very content to be on Information Island. (The island in Second Life where TechSoup's virtual space, Second Life Library, and other library-affiliated organizations are located.)

How did you explain the project to organizational leaders or constituents?

I have started by pitching the 3D tools as a geometry learning lesson. The club has also had a fashion design and sewing program, so the ability to design clothes for avatars has sparked some interest. There is a strong ethos of face-to-face organizing in our group, so the potential for in-world collaboration is not as attractive. That may change as people try it out and start meeting folks in Second Life.

What are the benefits to your organization?

We rely on fresh ideas and not doing the same thing over and over, though many programs have been successful for years. We usually try something on a small scale and give it our own twist, then have a "proof of concept" for fundraising. Second Life may be something that contributes to our mission. We won't know until we try.

What advice would you give to other nonprofits who might be interested?

Send a scout to explore. Or send two so you can compare notes. Do as I did — come in with the help of an organization that is already working in Second Life, like TechSoup. Ask a lot of questions, explore all the educational and nonprofit projects and sites in Second Life. (TechSoup's Virtual Office has a directory of nonprofits with links to their sites.) Find a comfortable base, like Information Island or the TechSoup Virtual Office.

Then you can decide to pay the $9.95 a month just so you can have "first land" to start building your own things and learning skills. Watch that area change around you, as people buy and sell, neighbors come and go. You see the good and the bad, and learn a lot about the typical Second-Life experience. If your organization establishes a presence there, you will have many residents come by, curious, interested, possibly able to help. I think you need to understand the culture of the place, not just set up an office or a classroom and invite funders.

Go to the Web sites that support and comment on Second Life. I have a note card that you can get at the Girls Club kiosk that contains links I have found useful.

If you have a particular interest and want to pursue it and share it, you could be surprisingly successful. In my own case, I have had a longtime fascination with the Maya culture, so I am now finding myself building an archaeological museum there called Xibalba, on Info Island II. If you can get a foothold and find it, there is something for everyone in Second Life — whether you are altruistic, artistic, acquisitive, or just plain geeky. The challenge for nonprofits is to develop the conscience and soul of the place, and use it to make a change in real life.

Barry Joseph

Director of the Online Leadership Program, Global Kids

Avatar: Globalkids Bixby

How does your organization use Second Life?

Global Kids brings a global youth development model into Teen Second Life (TSL). We use TSL to develop an awareness of global issues and leadership skills amongst teenagers who are currently in TSL and in our after-school programs in New York City. We have a number of projects that use Second Life in different ways, all funded by either the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation or Microsoft. One is a game development program. Another is a machinima, filmmaking in a virtual world. A third one is a version of our in-person leadership program, designed for teens "living" in TSL.

Why did you and your organization decide to create a presence in Second Life?

TSL is the best online environment available for leveraging the Internet to scale up both our work and our reach. And it's quite affordable.

How was the project planned? What expertise was needed?

We work with staff who are experienced in treating youth as people, not obstacles, who care about global issues, and who understand how to use technology as a tool for education.

How did the project unfold? What were some of the challenges? What worked well?

This past summer we ran Camp GK. It was a four-week program in which the campers — teens in TSL — spent three hours a day, five days a week, participating in workshops about such issues as the genocide in Darfur and global inequality. Their mission was to pick their own issue, learn about it, then develop a project to educate and inspire their fellow TSL residents to take action.

They selected child sex trafficking as their issue, developed a teach-in to promote the event, and then launched a maze — and a rather difficult one — filled with photos and text to educate visitors about the issue. At points throughout the maze, visitors were asked questions, and couldn't proceed unless they answered them correctly. But when did answer correctly, you would also get free stuff — like t-shirts and balloons — branded with the issue. At the end of the maze, teens were transported to a monument in the sky, which offered three different ways to take action. In the first four weeks since the launch, 2,000 teens have visited the maze and over 450 have donated a total of $150 USD.

How much time and money did you spend?

The Camp took three full-time staff members and two teen interns over 12 weeks. The budget was in the mid-five figures.

How did you explain the project to organizational leaders or constituents?

We said it was a fun way for teens to spend time in Second Life, meet new friends, learn about what is going on in the world, and have their voice heard.

What are the benefits to your organization?

We are developing best practices for bringing this type of education into Second Life. We are figuring out how to reach larger numbers of young people interested in taking leadership roles in the virtual and the real worlds.

What advice would you give to other nonprofits who might be interested?

Network, network, network. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Get on the SLED (Second Life educational) listservs and regularly visit our blog Global Kids' Digital Media Initiative.

Evonne Heyning

Creative Director, Amoration
Avatar: In Kenzo

How does your organization use Second Life?

Amoration is a nonprofit studio developing ManorMeta, a futuristic TV/DVD series and interactive online network for families around the globe. ManorMeta's growing architecture has quickly taken over our free time. ManorMeta premiered in early 2006 and quickly became a destination for world-changers and innovators in design, education, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and the arts. Our goal has been to produce a family media series built on a very fantastic new technological age.

ManorTV is kid-friendly edutainment now in early production. Our virtual home has six foster kids, three adults, numerous animal and computer-generated characters, and is filled with music, humor, and technological magic. (Think: next-generation "Sesame Street.")

Amoration, our 501(c)3 organization, has produced media and developed new concepts for programming in the virtual world since December 2005. We have provided support on nonprofit projects such as Camp Darfur, producing crossover print and video machinima from our builds to compliment real world awareness events. The ZeroOne art show (a festival of art and digital culture that took place in San Jose, California in August 2006) increased demand for our rare designs and we opened two ManorMeta Mineral Matrix education shops to build a growing business in the virtual world.

Why did you decide to do something in Second Life?

After a fun job interview in the virtual world in the Summer of 2005 and encouragement from Sue Stonebender and friends from the Omidyar Network (a mission-based investment group committed to fostering individual self-empowerment on a global scale), I gave Second Life a test run in January of 2006. With the pilot for the ManorMeta series nearly finished, we needed a dynamic, collaborative building space that would help us develop our ideas on interactivity in real and virtual spaces. Second Life became a tremendous tool for set and character development and storyboarding — now, story ideas emerge from our Second dramas! We've successfully turned our early-adopter audience into active participants by starting our process in the virtual world.

How was the project planned? What expertise was needed?

We have had mostly positive results in presentations with potential partners, Amoration Advisors, and volunteers. The world is intriguing enough to gather interest, but few find they have enough juice and bandwidth to sign up for Second Life and join us in the virtual world on a regular basis. Those who meet us there and play often get very involved in like-minded projects! Some who cannot join us in Second Life still spread the meme through the Web; we provide them with a natural spotlight space with links and interactive content at no cost.

Our first development award came from a key Linden partner so we did not worry that our investment in the platform would be considered wasteful. We found our virtual world meeting enhanced our work with Omidyar Network and other leaders from many different disciplines. We host some advisor meetings in-world (in Second Life) as a way to stay connected and integrated with our virtual space.

The learning curve has been steep and it has taken us every bit of nine months to learn building, scripting, event hosting, and media production in-world. We have tried to do this without investing extra money into Second Life; instead of hiring scriptwriters and machinima producers, we learned how to do it ourselves.

How did the project unfold? What were some of the challenges? What worked well?

As a development platform, Second Life is an excellent tool. It works well for archiving drawings, ideas, storyboards, and movement directions. Of course, if you write about hackers and digital access, you're bound to get hacked and "griefed" (the Second Life term for virtual harassment). As a networking device, it is clever and very sticky; it has tremendous potential as our computers and bandwidth catch up with the technology. Some of our primary mentors and advisors are unable to run Second Life smoothly on their primary work computers due to software and hardware restrictions, so we are not yet able to integrate them with our virtual-development process.

How much time and money did you spend?

To date we have spent less than $20 in Second Life. Our goal is to keep this project as sustainable as possible while providing financial stipends for the volunteer artists who have been working on this project for the last year. Amoration is a young 501(c)3 sponsored by the International Humanities Center; our staff has been working as volunteers for our arts education endeavors since 2004. We have approximately two dozen AMO Advisors who have given time and talent to help this project grow.

How did you explain the project to organizational leaders or constituents?

As an independent studio, we hold true to our organizational mission. We seek partners and projects that enhance a better world vision and we have made many new friends through the ManorMeta experiments.

What are the benefits to your organization?

The largest benefit to our organization is the interactivity, feedback, collaboration, and creative capital that we have exchanged in fun and captivating ways. There is so much potential as we build and bridge these new frontiers for kids around the world.

What advice would you give to other nonprofits who might be interested?

Write to us now at inkenzo@gmail.com We have found many tremendous pieces in this puzzle and we'd like to hear how you think they should fit together. If you have helpful leads for product and production partners for AMO Studio, please drop a line or introduce yourself in-world to In Kenzo, Common Cure, or any avatar from the ManorMeta group. We've been meeting tons of actors, stunt leads, musicians, and other talent and our team for this project is growing every week. We consider this to be a family and we invite people who want to create a culture of conscious compassion to tell us what you love to do.

What Can Second Life Do for Your Organization?

Nonprofit organizations are beginning to explore the possibilities of a presence and offering programs in Second Life. With a few adventurous having organizations led the way, it is becoming easier for you to learn about Second Life and evaluate whether or not this virtual world is an appropriate tool for your organization. All you need is a very basic level of technical aptitude, an Internet connection, some basic equipment, and an imagination.

To learn more about Second Life and find out if it is right for your organization, join other nonprofits at one of TechSoup's weekly in-world meetings. (For more information on how to use Second Life and get involved, visit our Second Life FAQ.)

About the Authors:

Susan Tenby ("Glitteractica Cookie") is Online Community Manager at TechSoup.

Beth Kanter ("Beth Kafka") is an independent technology consultant and blogger. She writes about Khmer culture and technology at Cambodia4kids.