[PyAR2] [PSF-Board] Funding pyArkansas

[Steve Holden]

Greg:

Thanks for your email. It's on the agenda for next Monday's Board meeting.

regards
  Steve

Greg Lindstrom wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am writing on behalf of the Arkansas Python Users Group, Python
> Artists of Arkansas (PyAR^2).  Our group is just over 6 months old and
> are planning the first annual "Python Arkansas" conference on the
> campus of the University of Central Arkansas (www.uca.edu) on October
> 4th.  This will be a 1-day conference currently planned from 8:30AM -
> 4:00PM with an emphasis on introducing Python to High School and
> College students.  We have Jeff Rush scheduled to teach a "Python 101"
> track and well as other group members presenting talks on file/text
> processing, Django, packages/modules, pyGame and database methods.
> There will also be a panel discussion/Q&A to end the day.  We have
> commitments from PyMagazine, O'Reilly, WingWare and Elegant Stitches
> for swag as well.
> 
> The venue for the event is the Computer Science Department at the
> University of Central Arkansas.  I wrote Dr. Hu (the department
> chairman) about the event not expecting much in return but they have
> been extremely encouraging, committing not only 3 classrooms (with
> computers) and a wireless network. but making sure the UCA cafeteria
> can handle us and they are tossing in at least 2 faculty members as
> well.  One faculty member has recently moved to Arkansas from Georgia
> Tech (where he taught Python to non-CS majors) who has offered to
> teach a class on modules and packages.
> 
> To promote the event we plan to send a letter to all High Schools in
> Faulkner County as well as all of the adjoining counties (17 High
> Schools) and all of the 2 and 4 year Universities (12 if my count is
> correct).  I am putting the letter together and Chad Cooper (group
> member) is putting together a flier to post as well.  We will try to
> get announcements in the University newspapers, but we don't know
> what's involved with that.  I would like to see 100 people attend, but
> we really have no way to know the numbers at this point.
> 
> To raise funds, we are asking businesses in Central Arkansas that we
> know use Python (Acxiom Corporation, Novasys Health, and others).
> David Goodger suggested that we check the Python Job board for other
> that use Python, and we are looking at listings on Internet job
> boards.  We do not want to charge the attendees if at all possible,  A
> very modest proposed budget is:
> 
> $  75.00 Promotional mailing and fund raising letters
> $ 600.00 Speaker (gas (from Texas), 2 nights hotel, meals and stipend,
> currently aimed at Jeff Rush)
> $ 100.00 MIsc. Expenses
> 
> It's modest, but a big part of this is due to the response we have
> received from UCA.  Lunch will be the responsibility of each attendee
> at the UCA student center (one member is working on getting meal
> tickets for all organizers and volunteers).
> 
> We are asking for any monetary support you can provide.  We will
> provide receipts to account for all funds you can provide, as well as
> a report on how the conference went (what went well, what flopped,
> etc).
> 
> Thank you for your consideration,
> 
> Greg Lindstrom, on behalf of PyAR^2
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> 
> 
> .
> 


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