The Idealist.org Podcasts

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Cultures in Harmony Sep 05, 2008

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After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, some people began thinking about how two cultures could misunderstand each other so much. How could one group hate another enough to attack them? Though we live in a time of ever-increasing communication and modern technologies that connect us across continents, we still don't seem to understand each other very well.In the latest Idealist.org Community Podcast, our guest contributor, Eric Hanser, tells the story of a group called Cultures in Harmony. This NYC-based nonprofit organization is bringing back an old means of cultural understanding—long ago abandoned by the United States government—by performing music in venues around the world. Set to the backdrop of beautiful global melodies, Eric explores how Cultures in Harmony fosters dialogue, friendship and diplomacy.

Freeing the Internet: Outdoors and Online with NYCwireless Aug 25, 2008

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In the latest Community Podcast, we look at an organization that's working to bring the internet to all New Yorkers, in and outside of their apartments. Most of us think of using the internet as a solitary, indoor activity. NYCwireless thinks differently. By "lighting up" public parks with free wi-fi access, they're allowing New Yorkers to connect outdoors and helping everyone to create and participate in a new community.We talk with Dana Spiegel and Laura Forlano from NYCwireless about their mission and projects. We also look at the challenges they face as they work to make internet access an accepted public service. Click here for a transcript of this episode. More information on NYCwireless.

Eight Years Out: The Public Impact of AmeriCorps Service with Bob Grimm Aug 15, 2008

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Today's guest is Bob Grimm, Director of Research and Policy Development & Senior Counselor to the CEO at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in Washington, DC. He speaks with Idealist.org's Amy Potthast about the study design and outcomes, and about some of the people who have served in AmeriCorps. Solid evidence now exists to show that participating in a term of service program (like AmeriCorps, Teach For America, and Peace Corps) really is an effective launching-off point for a public service career. Idealist has long held this belief, and has been formalizing its support of these programs since 2007.Earlier this year the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) published an eight-year longitudinal study of people who participated in AmeriCorps programs in 1999-2000, as well as of people who considered participating but chose not to during the same year. It turns out that two-thirds of AmeriCorps alumni (including AmeriCorps*NCCC alumni) from that year are currently engaged in nonprofit or government careers -- outnumbering the group who didn't participate in AmeriCorps.

How to Learn-a-Palooza Jul 31, 2008

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This past May in Washington, D.C., people came together in the neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle to teach each other everything they know. Literally. Learn-a-Palooza is a one-day event in which temporary classrooms are set up across Washington D.C., and regular people share their knowledge and skills with their neighbors for free. This is the second year for the knowledge bonanza, intended to bring communities together, and workshop topics ranged from everything from "Personal Finance for Young People," to "How to Be a Brazen Burlesque Dancer." For this Idealist Community Podcast, Julia Smith attended Learn-a-Palooza, and brought her voice recorder along with her, interviewing both workshop leaders and participants. Julia shares her experiences and insight, and lets us listen in on some of the workshops. Join us for an episode of community-building, information-gathering, knowledge-sharing, and a lot of plain old fun! Click here for the complete transcript.Click here for more information on Learn-a-Palooza

Peace Corps & Graduate School: Eileen Conoboy Jul 10, 2008

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The latest Idealist.org Careers Podcast features Eileen Conoboy, Director of the Office of University Programs at Peace Corps. She speaks with Idealist's Amy Potthast about Peace Corps and its two graduate school partnership programs, Masters International and Fellows USA. Eileen was a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) and a Peace Corps Volunteer (Mali, 1995-97) and has served as a Peace Corps Regional Recruiter. She has a Masters degree in International Peace Studies from Trinity College in Ireland.Peace Corps Volunteers can earn their Masters degree as part of Peace Corps service through the Masters International program. Former Volunteers receive scholarships through the Fellows USA program. Finally, Peace Corps has two pilot programs that serve undergraduate populations on specific campuses. To learn more about Peace Corps's graduate school partnerships, go to www.peacecorps.gov and click on "Grad School" or come to an Idealist.org Graduate Degree Fair for the Public Good, www.idealist.org/gradfairs. Download the Episode Here (0:40:50) [19MB]The Peace Corps is a federal US agency that sends thousands of Volunteers abroad each year to over 70 developing countries to perform tasks that the host countries deem critical in fields like public health, education, environmental protection, information technology and more. The Office of University Programs oversees mutually beneficial partnerships between Peace Corps and both graduate and undergraduate institutions. Find more grad school resources at www.idealist.org/gradschools

Born to be BAADS Jun 09, 2008

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In this latest episode, we feature the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (or BAADS), a sailing group that is making the world a little bit enjoyable and easier for the disabled to live in. How? By pairing two people with complementary disabilities to make one sailor, or by using inventive technology to enable the more daring to sail alone.We talk with three BAADS members—Greg Williams, Cristina Rubke and Ed Gallagher—to explore what being part of this association means for them. We also find out how they're pushing the boundaries of technology--as well as their own.Click here to listen (0:16:32). For a complete transcript, click here.Special thanks to our former intern, Dana Fox Farrington, for all of her hard work on this episode.Interested in this topic and want to get involved? Check out this list of almost 4,000 organizations around the world that work with the disabled in a variety of ways, from dancing to discrimination.

Lifelong Service: AmeriCorps Alums' Amity Tripp May 14, 2008

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Today's podcast features Amity Tripp, director of AmeriCorps Alums, a project of Hands On Network. AmeriCorps Alums connects and mobilizes the 400,000 alumni of AmeriCorps programs — national, community service opportunities for people to serve in organizations, agencies, and schools throughout the United States. Amity is the founder of the local Washington, DC, chapter of AmeriCorps Alums, and has been on the staff of Points of Light Foundation (now merged with Hands On Network), and with the DC Commission on Voluntary Action and Service. Amity talks with Idealist's Amy Potthast about the role of AmeriCorps members, the long-term benefits of serving in AmeriCorps and achievements of alumni, and the work of AmeriCorps Alums nationally and locally. Click here to download. (00:21:00) To learn more about AmeriCorps Alums, go to www.americorpsalums.org. You can also read a longitudinal study released this week about the impact of AmeriCorps alumni.More Links AmeriCorps The Center for Progressive Leadership The U.S. Public Service Academy

Going Loco: The Ubuntu Community Apr 17, 2008

Show notes

What's in a name? When it comes to 'Ubuntu', a whole lot. Ubuntu means "humanity to others" in some African cultures, but it's also the name of an computer operating system that is bringing people together, as well as a larger movement to change the way people interact with technology.In this episode, we speak with members of an Ubuntu 'LoCo' (for Local Community) group in Washington, DC. While their mission is to promote Ubuntu Linux and open source software, their story likewise illustrates how a simple piece of software can build community. We also explore the history of Ubuntu, what it does, how open source is changing technological development-- and why some people want to stop it.Click here to Download (15:45) And in honor of open source, you can download the Ogg Vorbis format of this podcast. To learn more about Ogg Vorbis and install the player, click here.Related Links: Ubuntu Linux DC Local Community" Open Source software - help for non-Geeks Ubuntu Loco Team Page Ubuntu Home Page digg_url = 'http://idealist.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=329581'; digg_skin = 'compact'; digg_window = 'new'; | Add to Del.icio.us | function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;} html .fb_share_link { padding:2px 0 0 20px; height:16px; background:url(http://static.ak.facebook.com/images/share/facebook_share_icon.gif?43:26981) no-repeat top left; }Share on Facebook | reddit_url='http://idealist.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=329581' reddit_title='Going Loco: The Ubuntu Community'

Career Guru: NYU Wagner School's David Schachter Mar 31, 2008

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In the latest Careers podcast we interview David Schachter, Assistant Dean for Career Services and Experiential Learning at The Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU. David manages Wagner's career-related support of students and alumni. Originally trained as an actor, David has had more than fifteen years of non-profit staff and volunteer management experience. He has offered training, consulting, and facilitation nationally in the areas of leadership, staff development, supervision, team building, training of the trainer, and career planning. In addition, he developed programs and training components that appear in several chapters of The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers. David received the 2006 NACE/Chevron Outstanding Achievement Award for Innovative Programs in Career Services for his partnership with Action Without Borders/Idealist.org on the creation of the Institute on Public Service Careers, a series of two-day professional development trainings designed to educate college career services professionals and year-of-service program staff from across the country on how to increase the visibility and accessibility of public service careers to their students, volunteers, and alumni. David received his Master's Degree in Public Administration from NYU Wagner and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Idealist.org's Amy Potthast talks with David about the job search process; the diverse, ill-defined paths to public service careers; the NYU Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service at Wagner; David's own path, and much, much more.Click here to download (0:31:51)Related links:Wagner The Fellowship For Emerging Leaders In Public Service The Idealist.org Career Guide digg_url = 'http://idealist.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=323295'; digg_skin = 'compact'; digg_window = 'new'; | Add to Del.icio.us | function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;} html .fb_share_link { padding:2px 0 0 20px; height:16px; background:url(http://static.ak.facebook.com/images/share/facebook_share_icon.gif?43:26981) no-repeat top left; }Share on Facebook | reddit_url='http://idealist.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=323295' reddit_title='Career Guru: NYU Wagner School's David Schachter'

Two Fools. One Adventure. No Idea: Tuxedo Travels and CouchSurfing.com Mar 13, 2008

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In this latest Idealist Community episode we highlight two projects, Tuxedo Travels and CouchSurfing.com, that are making the world a little bit friendlier to live in. Heath Buck and Doug Campbell barely knew one another when they decided to set out on what they dubbed a "crazy adventure of the charitable kind." For six months, the duo traveled from Hong Kong to London raising money for local causes they encountered along the way. The catch? They wore tuxedos the whole time. Heath and Doug talk about the amusing ups and downs of their journey, as well as provide keen insight as to how tuxedos are viewed in the rest of the world. We also hear how CouchSurfing, a global website that connects travelers to people's couches, helped them carry out their adventure. Click here to download the episode. (0:15:03) Related Links: Tuxedo Travels CouchSurfing digg_url = 'http://idealist.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=317044'; digg_skin = 'compact'; digg_window = 'new'; | Add to Del.icio.us | function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;} html .fb_share_link { padding:2px 0 0 20px; height:16px; background:url(http://static.ak.facebook.com/images/share/facebook_share_icon.gif?43:26981) no-repeat top left; }Share on Facebook | reddit_url='http://idealist.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=317044' reddit_title='Two Fools. One Adventure. No Idea: Tuxedo Travels and CouchSurfing.com'

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