University of Southern California

The event in Second Life was amazing.   We hope you were able to join us!

For those who wish to view the video of the event, it will be uploaded shortly the MacArthur Foundation's Spotlight blog.

For a nice machinima piece that highlights the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's national and international work, please watch the YouTube video produced by Draxtor Despres on the MacArthur Foundation Launch in Second Life.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation President Jonathan Fanton and the former co-creator of Second Life, Cory Ondrejka (now at EMI Music), are the featured discussants in a public forum to be held May 18th, 2009.  In their conversation, Ondrejka and Fanton will examine the future of virtual worlds and philanthropy.  The event continues a two-year investigation into the role of philanthropy in virtual worlds led by the University of Southern California and Global Kids, with support from the MacArthur Foundation.

Scheduled for 2pmPT/5pmET, the event is the first to take place on MacArthur Island, a virtual island dedicated to supporting the public good.  Located within Second Life, the island features 3D interactive exhibits on issues ranging from biodiversity to human rights and education, and is available to other foundations and nonprofits for events and activities in the public interest. 

This public forum will be broadcast as a webcast to standard internet browsers.  For those with avatars, a visit to the MacArthur Island will offer a new opportunity for understanding MacArthur’s grantees and partners. 

For the URLs and login details for the webcast and the island, check the event page the morning of May 18, 2009.  The hour-long event, scheduled to begin at 2pmPT/5pmET, will include Q&A in both Second Life and from the web using Treet.tv, and for those in Second Life, a 30-minute reception will follow.  To participate in the event in Second Life, you will need a fairly recent computer (PC, Mac or Linux) with a broadband connection to the internet.  Accounts to use Second Life are available at no cost.  To get started, sign up for Second Life, download the software and test your avatar at least a day in advance to make sure that you can participate.

For background on the Foundation’s work on philanthropy and virtual worlds, check out the recap of the first event with Jonathan Fanton, which was held in June of 2007.  See also posts on the topic by Doug Thomas of USC, and Barry Joseph and Rik Panganiban of Global Kids.