Freerice sandbox
From CyberOne Wiki
Contents |
Class outline
Grant Applications
- We want to raise money to fuel the expansion of the website
- Description of Google Project 10 to the 100 (show the website and introductory video, show the application)
- Discuss whether our project is really appropriate for this grant application
- Is it a problem that the site is already developed to an extent?
- Is it a problem that the site uses corporate sponsorship?
- Is it a problem that FreeRice is incorporated is a for-profit corporation (to avoid certain formalities)? Is it reasonable to try to frame this as a Berkman Center project, not a FreeRice project?
- Review our answers to the application questions and solicit feedback from the class.
- Description of TechAwards.org grant application
- Research of other grant applications
Are there any other suggestions for goals of this project
- There is no litigation, the project is what we make it
- Are there any thoughts about other things that we can try to accomplish for this project?
10^100 app
FreeRice Feedback Memos
Promotional Page
Carnegie
Task List
Tasks
1. Carnegie Application (Group)
- Q1: Brittany, Robyn & Javius
- Q2: Brittany, Robyn & Javius
- Q3: Maliha & Jen
- Q4: Maliha & Jen
- Q5: Brittany, Robyn & Javius
- Q6: Nicole & Kira
- Q7: Nicole & Kira
- Q8: Nicole & Kira
2. Carnegie Blog (Group)
3. Berkman Center FreeRice Page
4. Update Wiki
5. Engage Students/Faculty/Teachers/Parents
6. Direct Breen on how to re-incorporate FreeRice as a non-profit
7. Find executive director & coder
8. Timeline for where we would like FreeRice to go
9. Finalize Carnegie Application
10. Plan to choose Board of Reviewers
11. Press Release
FreeRice Blog
The FreeRice group is in the beginning stages of completing the Carnegie grant application. We have recently had a group meeting with the creator of FreeRice.com, John Breen, and our technical support consultant to clarify our vision, discuss the necessary initial steps, and brainstorm the long-term goals of the project.
The immediate next step is for the group to articulate the short and long-term goals of the project and to begin tackling each question step-by-step.
Our group will work with John Breen to design and implement a pre-algebra section to the website. This will involve researching the content that is currently available on the internet and developing an appropriate curriculum for the FreeRice.com website. As is done for all subjects that are available on the website, we will seek out questions with varying degrees of difficulty so that the pre-algebra section will be appealing to users of all ages and skill levels.
Our group is also in the process of finalizing the proposal for the Carnegie grant. We are drafting language in response to the required questions that will adequately describe the current status of the project and our goals for the future of the website.
In the meantime, we will focus on accomplishing the goals that do not need funding and consider additional grants that may assist FreeRice.com in executing our plans.
In addition to working on the Carnegie grant application, the FreeRice group is actively brainstorming a way to solicit volunteers to serve on an Advisory Board of Reviewers. This Board would be comprised of educators and others knowledgeable in the field of education who will work diligently to screen and examine content that is proposed for inclusion on the site. The Group hopes to identify a process for selecting the members of the board and also a submission process for content that should be reviewed for inclusion on FreeRice.com.
Blog Posted: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/cyberone/2008/11/14/freerice-extended-the-carnegie-grant-and-more/
Communication with Legal Services Center
ORIGINAL CONTACT:
To: Brian Price Subject: Possible Project for Legal Services Center
Brian,
I am taking a class with Professor Charles Nesson this semester, and I have been working on a project that might also be an appropriate project for a student in the Transactional Practice Clinical Program (either Winter or Spring semester).
We have been working with John Breen, the creator of a website - www.FreeRice.com – a site with twin goals of education and philanthropy. The website has a variety of educational subjects (vocabulary, geography, multiplication tables, foreign languages, etc.), and there are multiple levels within each subject. For each question within a subject, there are 4 multiple choice answers from which users much choose. For each question answered correctly, 20 grains of rice is donated to the UN World Food Program to feed hungry people around the world. The way the site is set up right now, an advertising banner is displayed at the bottom of the screen after a question is answered, and the revenues from the sale of the advertising space pays for the rice that gets donated. Billions of grains of rice have already been donated, and we have been working with the creator to improve the site and apply for grants to help fund the expansion and improvement of the site.
The creator has already incorporated the site, I believe as an S-Corp, but he is interested in reorganizing as a non-profit entity, particularly since being a non-profit will help him in the solicitation of grant money for the support of the project. I thought this might be a good project for LSC because the site is both educational and philanthropic, even though it is not something that will immediately affect the Jamaica Plain community directly. Part of our plan for the project, however, is that it will become an educational tool supported by teachers and used in classrooms. The effort to implement use of the website into classrooms would likely start locally, which would have an effect on the immediate community.
Do you think that this might be something you would be interested in working on in the clinical? I thought that it might be a good idea to involve other facets of the Harvard community, especially since Charles Nesson and the Harvard University Berkman Center for Internet and Society are already involved. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks a lot!
Nicole D. Jackson
njackson@law.harvard.edu
RESPONSE:
Hi Nicole,
Things are well. I hope likewise for you. Yes, this would be a good case for us to take on. The idea is clever and it's for a good cause. The conversion will be an interesting project. I'll have a student doing clinical during winter term so possibly we could start it then, but if not certainly by spring semester. Please send me John Breen's contact information and we'll get in touch with him and get it queued up.
Brian K. Price, Clinical Professor of Law and Director WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School 122 Boylston Street Jamaica Plain MA 02130 617-522-3003 (tel) 617-522-0715 (fax) www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical/lsc/
