In September 2012, after hearing the Community Cultivation Grants form the DA announce several times on the Drupal Easy podcast, I applied for one and got it.
The grant was for 240ドル towards starting an all-ages friendly local contribution focused meet-up in Oak Park Illinois USA (which is a suburb just outside of Chicago). We meet at the Oak Park Public Library.
The grant covered 72ドル for 6 months of meetup.com
http://www.meetup.com/vopdug/
Reservations for space to meet at the local library was 20ドル/month. We met there 5 times.
On the 6th month we celebrated with an all day sprint, renting a room for the day at The Art of Natural Healing. The rest of the grant: 48ドル went to part of the 180ドル rental for the room.
Over the 6 months of meetups, we had a few experience contributors, but mostly new folks. Some are regulars now.
Oct: 9 people, 2 young
Nov: 9 people, 2 young
Dec: 5 people
Jan: 8 and 3 of those under 18. 2 experienced and a bunch of people newer. 2 first time vopduggers.
Feb: 5 people
March: 12 people. Quite an array of experience (first time contributors to Drupal 8 initiative lead) and ages (10-60ish). Even the newer people were helping the really new with contributing. Even the experienced (me) were getting mentored! An awesome showing! Write up: http://comm-press.de/en/blog/oak-park-illinois-usa-sprint-sunday-during-...
oakpark.jpg
When first planning the March all day sprint, I wanted more publicity of the event to get some others from the Chicago suburbs and the city to attend. webchick suggested if it were a coordinated event, in more than just one city, that she would tweet about it. And thus: #SprintWeekend was born. http://groups.drupal.org/node/277768
Going forward.
Going forward we are continuing to meet monthly, but for 4 hour time blocks. We found the 2 hours (plus an optional extra hour for helping people set up dev env) was too short for participants to finish tasks. And I'll be asking regulars that attend the meetup to chip in to the ongoing meetup.com cost and the 20ドル/month space rental. If an Oak Park office with wifi wants to donate meeting space, contact me. :)
Next meetup [updated April 15]: Sunday, May 12, 2013 13:00-17:00 at the Oak Park Main Library on Lake St. http://www.meetup.com/vopdug/events/108698122/
Follow @ctheys to get announcements and look for #vopdug
Thanks to Drupal Easy for repeating that the grants were available. Repetition helps.
Thanks to the DA for approving the grant.
Thanks to the Oak Park Library for the low cost room rental.
Comments
Thanks for the report! I'm
Thanks for the report!
I'm curious about the use of meetup.com. At the Denver meetings we do a survey as the meeting opens asking how people found the meeting which is helpful in justifying the expense of meetup.com. We also share the same meetup group between 4 local meetups which helps keep the cost low.
knaddison blog | Morris Animal Foundation
meetup
I'm not sure how many people found out about us via meetup.com.
I think that most people use it once they join the meetup.com group for getting reminders and such.
I'll start asking at the meetups; good idea. :) -Cathy
Cathy Theys
YesCT++
Huge props to YesCT for organizing, instigating, and running this event!
I have to say, watching Cathy coach a 14 year old girl through teaching a 60 year old man how to use Git was a mind-blowing experience (in all the good ways).
You rock, Cathy!