Tired of winter? Shake off the winter blahs with one of our media skills classes, like Twitter 101, or Become a LinkedIn Power User, or sign up for our April Social Media Clinic. Volunteer as a journalism mentor for one of our aspiring citizen journalists. Or drop in on one of our Newsroom Cafes to find out how you can contribute your talents to the Daily Planet as a writer, photographer or videographer. (And maybe even get paid.) You’ll find details on all of the above below, right after our staff reports.
Community Asset Mapping / Neighborhood Engagement Specialist Maggie Pearson reports: March has been a busy first month for the Asset Mapping team. We started our community mapping project on the West Side of St. Paul, and quickly found some hidden gems for snacks and services hidden throughout the Neighborhood. A group of artists on Smith Ave were kind enough to include us in a brainstorming gathering they hosted, which lead to Harry Kent’s Neighborhood Note. In addition to mapping out the West Side, Bruce invited me to join him in meeting with many of the community partners for his Bush Grant work, which led to numerous valuable conversations about how I can work with neighborhood groups to map the community resources and get their news content out! We’re now wrapping up our work on the West Side with over 60 new listings made, and starting outreach to folks living and working in Hamline-Midway.
If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at a Newsroom Café.
To find Mary, look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!
Our location: Many of our classes are held at the Twin Cities Daily Planet office (though many are not—see each class listing for location information). Our office is centrally located, but it can be a little tricky to find if you don’t realize that we are in the Wells Fargo bank branch at 2600 E. Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. Free parking is available in the bank’s parking lot; to get to our office, enter through the bank’s back door—from the parking lot. You’ll see the door to our office right across from the ATM. If the bank is closed, you can get into the vestibule by swiping any ATM card; otherwise, just step over to our window and give us a knock!
Tuition for this class is $10.00. Scholarships are available. Register at TheDataBank.
Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone! Come to our monthly social media clinics at the Daily Planet office and get a hand from Twin Cities Daily Planet associate editor Jay Gabler—in addition to connecting with other community members and sharing your own best practices. Our social media clinics are meant to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information, and to reach the communities you want to reach for your nonprofit, small business, or personal interests.
WHO: Jay Gabler and up to ten registered participants.
WHY: As part of our nonprofit mission to help members of Twin Cities communities connect with one another and with our larger global communities using the power of new media.
HOW: We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available and to pay the participation fee of $10 for each workshop. Participation is free for all Daily Planet advertisers (click here for more information about how to advertise with the Daily Planet), and scholarships are available upon request. Bring your laptop—wi-fi is available. If you want to participate but don’t have a laptop, inquire with us; we may be able to provide you with a computer for the session.
Eyes on the Street: Community Photojournalism Walk and Critique
Learn the basics of photographing in the community in this hands-on class with freelance photographer Tom Baker. As a continuation of last month’s Community Photojournalism Basics (not a prerequisite), you’ll meet outside the Daily Planet office for a photo walk along the streets of Minneapolis. Tom will instruct you on how to photograph portraits and candids of community members and collect caption information about your subjects. After the photo walk, everyone will return to the Daily Planet office to share and critique their images. Cell phone cameras, point and shoots, and DSLRs are welcome. All cameras must be digital and have the ability to upload to a computer. Tom Baker has worked at three newspapers and has been freelancing since 2006.
Tuition for this class is $10.00. Scholarships are available. Please register at TheDataBank.
This class will be taught by Marcos Lopez-Carlson. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 651-450-2900.
You know that social media is a great way to market your business and share information about your brand, but where do you start? How do you find time to fit it all in? During this hour and a half workshop, learn how to set up a business Facebook page and engage your fans. Discover ways to curate and distribute consistent information and grow your fan base. This workshop will also offer suggestions for how to set up your own editorial calendars related to social media content, ways to maximize your Facebook efforts when your time is limited, and general best practices in social media.
This class will be taught by Steffen Ryan. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-447-3375.
What is Twitter, and how can you use it effectively to connect with your friends, colleagues, and—for business owners—potential customers? Go from being a novice to a power user. This class will be taught by Jay Gabler. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-227-1500.
Learn how to develop a free or inexpensive website for your small business, community organization or blog using WordPress or another user-friendly platform. This class includes instructions how to set up a site, how to navigate the settings so that the site represents your business, and tips on how to generate traffic.
This class will be taught by Matt Bartel. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 651-793-3934.
Do you have a LinkedIn account but have never quite figured out how to use it? With over 130 million members, LinkedIn is a network worth developing. In this class we will learn how to set up a profile accurately, discover new contacts and participate in groups.
This class will be taught by Marcos Lopez-Carlson. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-233-9590.
You know that social media is a great way to market your business and share information about your brand, but where do you start? How do you find time to fit it all in? During this hour and a half workshop, learn how to set up a business Facebook page and engage your fans. Discover ways to curate and distribute consistent information and grow your fan base. This workshop will also offer suggestions for how to set up your own editorial calendars related to social media content, ways to maximize your Facebook efforts when your time is limited, and general best practices in social media.
This class will be taught by Steffen Ryan. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 651-554-6840.
Do you have a LinkedIn account but have never quite figured out how to use it? With over 130 million members, LinkedIn is a network worth developing. In this class we will learn how to set up a profile accurately, discover new contacts and participate in groups.
This class will be taught by Marcos Lopez-Carlson. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 651-438-0200.
Learn how to develop a free or inexpensive website for your small business, community organization or blog using WordPress or another user-friendly platform. This class includes instructions how to set up a site, how to navigate the settings so that the site represents your business, and tips on how to generate traffic.
This class will be taught by Matt Bartel. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-707-1770.
You know that Google makes high-quality software from Internet search to e-mail to maps, but what about documents? Come and learn about Google Docs: Google’s version of documents, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, and drawings—all part of the Google Docs suite. Learn how to create, manipulate, manage, and collaborate with Google Docs. Google Docs comes automatically packaged with Gmail and Google Apps accounts, so this class applies to anyone with a Google account!
This class will be taught by Brian Roemen. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 651-695-3700.
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