November Update: Great classes, Give to the Max, and our Fall Media Forum

November ia busy month for the Twin Cities Media Alliance – we have lots of classes scheduled, Give to the Max Day, and our annual Fall Media Forum. This year’s forum theme is “Getting the Word Out: New Media Strategies for Engaging Diverse Communities.” We have an exciting line-up of presenters, panels and workshops, including activist, educator and hip-hop artist Guante. Click over to our registration page to see all the details. Thanks to the generous support of  this year’s presenting sponsor, the Bush Foundation, a limited number of scholarships are available. So sign up soon.

We also have an exciting list of classes coming up this month, ranging from Google Docs: The Tool for Smart Online Collaborations to Grant Writing Basics at Rock Star Supply Co.  For more details, check out Bruce Johansen’s staff report, below, and to see a complete list of our upcoming classes, scroll down past our staff reports to the bottom of this email.

And please remember: your support of the Twin Cities Media Alliance makes all of this work possible.  Now more than ever, we need your support. We are having a breakthrough year at the Twin Cities Media Alliance – the number of classes we offer has tripled, and readership of the Daily Planet has doubled. But we are also facing an enormous financial challenge going into 2014 – a sharp cut in our support from foundations. 

November 14 is Give to the Max Day, but you don’t have to wait until then to make your membership donation to the Twin Cities Media Alliance – and have it count towards towards Give to the Max Day incentives. To maximize the impact of your gift, please consider offering a matching grant before November 14 – just reply to this email and I will tell you how. You can become a member or extend your membership by making a donation of $10 or more at our secure GiveMN online donation page, or sending a check (in any amount) to TCMA, 2600 E. Franklin #2, Minneapolis MN 55406.

Best,

Jeremy Iggers, executive director

Staff reports: 

Editor Mary Turck reports:

October has been a great month for new writers and community conversations on TC Daily Planet. Tiffany Vang’s Community Voices article on the Hmong 18 Clan Council and the bride price controversy went viral, with more than 60,000 page views, almost 800 comments, many of which were long and thoughtful, and other Community Voices responses. We also had strong contributions from Denise Hanh Huynh on Miss Saigon and were happy to publish Chaun Webster, Jeremiah Bey Ellison, Arianna Genis, Shannon Gibney and Valerie Deus’s open letter to the Walker Art Center. While we always work for more community involvement in the Daily Planet, October was a month to celebrate the very visible success of those efforts.

Community Engagement Editor Lolla Mohammed Nur reports:

In October, we launched the second group for the Seward Storytelling Project, which will be wrapping up in November. We’ve consistently had at least 20 participants of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, who live or work in Seward, attend our storytelling sessions to engage in dialog about their neighborhood and community. Our final get-together will be November 12 where we will celebrate the project’s major success!

We’ve also been working closely with our media skills fellows to publish their stories and community voices, as the fellowship wraps up in the next three weeks. Lastly, we held a well-attended Newsroom Cafe for emerging arts writers, who will be covering under-the-radar arts for us as we continue to grow our arts coverage in underrepresented communities.

Community Asset Mapping / Neighborhood Engagement Specialist Maggie Pearson reports:

October has been a month of outreach for the community mapping work. I’ve been communicating with business associations across the cities about classes and workshops that would give local businesses the skills they’re looking for to best support their businesses. Check out our class schedule to see what we’ve got coming up, and contact us if you think there’s something we’re missing.  The Media Alliance is interested in crafting specific classes to meet the media needs of individual organizations, so please contact us if your organization is interested in developing any specific media skill – we have a team of talented instructors able to teach on a wide range of topics, from Facebook and Twitter, to photo and video on smartphones.

Program manager for Training and Engagement Bruce Johansen reports: 

November’s shaping up to be a really big month for classes. If you own a point-and-shoot or smartphone camera, and are eager to take better photos with it, you’ll be glad to know that one of our most popular instructors, Tom Baker, will return to offer plenty of helpful tips, just in time for the holidays. Sign up today for Take Great Photos with Point-and-Shoot & Smartphone Cameras. Frustrated by Google Docs? Appreciate it’s potential as a tool for work or project collaborations, but still don’t have the hang of it? Instructor Brian Roemen, lead tech and owner of Backpack Tactics, will share his vast knowledge with you in Google Docs: The Tool for Smart Online Collaborations. Brian always gets high marks when he teaches a version of this class for us at area libraries. If you’ve been wanting to become a more skilled grant writer, here’s your opportunity. Join Jen Kohan for Grant Writing Basics and learn the essential elements of successful grant proposals and applications. To allow for a slightly larger group, this workshop will be held at Rock Star Supply Co. Finally, don’t forget our monthly Social Media Clinic. Gather up your questions, bring them to these informal sessions, and Marcos Lopez-Carlson will provide answers. Space is limited for all of our classes, so register today to ensure your spot.

Classes: 

(Just click on the link for more details and registration information.) 

Twitter 101 at Roseville Library | Tue, 11/05/2013 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

2180 North Hamline

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.

Making the Most of Google Docs at Roseville Library | Wed, 11/06/2013 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

2180 North Hamline

You know that Google makes high-quality software from Internet search to e-mail to maps, but what about documents?

Take Great Photos with Point-and-Shoot & Smartphone Cameras | Thu, 11/07/2013 – 6:30pm- 8:30pm

2600 Franklin Avenue E.

(Wells Fargo bldg – enter through back door of bank)

Mpls., MN

Looking to improve your smartphone photography skills? Still having trouble with that point-and-shoot you bought a while ago?

Create a website for your business at Chanhassen Library | Sat, 11/09/2013 – 10:30am -12:30pm

Learn how to develop a free or inexpensive website for your small business, community organization or blog using WordPress or another user-friendly platform.

Create a website for your business at Rum River Library | Wed, 11/13/2013 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Learn how to develop a free or inexpensive website for your small business, community organization or blog using WordPress or another user-friendly platform.

Create a website for your business at Galaxie Library | Wed, 11/13/2013 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm

14955 Galaxie Ave

Apple Valley, MN

Learn how to develop a free or inexpensive website for your small business, community organization or blog using WordPress or another user-friendly platform.

Google Docs: The Tool for Smart Online Collaborations | Thu, 11/14/2013 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

2600 Franklin Avenue E.

(Wells Fargo bldg – enter through back door of bank)

Mpls., MN

Google Docs can be a huge help, but also a source of frustration.

Grant Writing Basics at Rock Star Supply Co. | Tue, 11/19/2013 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

2388 University Avenue W.

St. Paul, MN

In this class, you’ll learn the essential elements of writing successful grant proposals and applications. We will explore models for various grant components, including summary narratives, budget and funding explanation, and clear articulation of goals and evaluation methods.

November Social Media Clinic | Thu, 11/21/2013 – 4:00pm – 6:00pm

2600 Franklin Avenue E.

(Wells Fargo bldg – enter through back door of bank)

Mpls., MN

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone!

Promote Your Business with Facebook at Ridgedale Library | Thu, 11/21/2013 – 5:00pm -7:00pm

12601 Ridgedale Drive

Minnetonka, MN

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?