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Last Update: by the Volunteer Coordinator

BCN Volunteer Guide

What is BCN?

BCN is most definitely a volunteer-driven organization. With over 100 volunteers participating, we hold over 48 public internet orientations per year and have helped over 200 Boulder County community organizations develop websites.

We are a private, 501c3 non-profit agency with a volunteer Board of Directors from the community, who are responsible for policy making, fundraising, and financial decisions. With two full-time staff, two part-time staff, and a student technical assistant, we depend on our volunteers to help us serve Boulder County!

What Does BCN Do?

Since 1994, BCN has been a nationally-recognized leader in fostering the use of the internet and technology for the public good.

Our mission is to help individuals and public sector organizations in Boulder County take advantage of technology and the information available to them on the World Wide Web. We:

• Provide a directory of community and local government information, offering free web server space and web page development to Boulder County non-profits.
• Provide public computers that allow the individuals to access BCN and the web in locations such as local libraries and senior centers.
• Bring new technology and technical volunteers to non-profits and schools through our new technical assistance project. Coordinate a pool of skilled volunteers who teach and develop web pages for community organizations.
• Provide training and technical support for BCN and the internet for the general public and specific under-served groups such as seniors.

What are the current BCN Volunteer Projects?

• Virtual Chautauqua is a state-wide grant project of the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Journalism and Mass Communication.The project has created a partnership between 13 arts, education and community media organizations to put performing arts video and audio online. Project leaders will work with rural K-12 students and teachers, as well as people with disabilities in making dynamic use of the online content and related forums. Virtual Chautauqua is funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administrationand matching in-kind funds from partnering organizations: Volunteers set up agency networks, builld artist web pages, digitize artists video & audio clips for streaming, assist with adaptive technologies to help differently abled people to access the internet

How is BCN Funded?

BCN is primarily supported by the following sources:

• National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) grant
• University of Colorado at Boulder
  Division of Continuing Education and
  Department of Information Tecnology Services
• Donations from individuals and businesses

You can help by volunteering your time, making a donation, or asking your employer to make a donation or match your gift to BCN.

What Kind of Volunteer Positions are Available?

BCN has volunteer positions to fit nearly every interest or ability. The following are examples of our volunteer opportunities:

• Teach or assist in a BCN public orientation to the internet (usually held at the CU Computing Center)
• Develop/update a website for a non-profit organization
• Use your technical skills to assist a non-profit group; for example:
• Create a database, upgrade software, network computers together, fix a printer
• Train the group's staff on using Word or a graphics package more effectively
• Write a volunteer manual or design a new logo

What are the steps for Volunteering?

If you want to volunteer to do website development or general technical assistance, follow these steps. If you want to teach or assist with internet orientations, skip to Steps for Teachers below.

1. Register to be a volunteer using the online form at http://bcn.boulder.co.us/volunteer/register.html . Please provide as much information as you can on your interests, skills and availability.
2. The Volunteer Coordinator will follow up with you on your registration.
3. You will get a call when a request comes in that matches your skills, interest and availability. The Volunteer Coordinator will give you information on the nonprofit such as contact information, what they do, details of the project and the subdirectory the website will be under on the BCN server.
   IT'S OK TO DECLINE AN OPPORTUNITY, especially if you're too busy. We'll call you another time.
4. Meet with the client to understand the project and expected schedule for completion.
   If you're doing a website project, find out how often information will change on the site, collect as much information in electronic format as you can, and figure out a reasonable timeline for completing the work.

If the client's website will change frequently, suggest they use DIPP (see Maintaining a Web Site for more information).

If the website will change infrequently and the client has access to email (most do), suggest they use TELNET and access their files directly on the BCN server. We will give them a userID and password.

The goal is for clients to be able to update their own websites after you do the initial site. After you've created the site, please let the client know what the files are named, what's in them, and what subdirectory they are under on the BCN server. If you can, please explain or show them how to use FTP or TELNET to access their files.

Before actually starting work on the website, please read the Steps for Page Development Volunteers information on naming conventions and header/footer standards. This page also tells you how to FTP files to the BCN server. You can use any tool you are comfortable with to do the site, but please follow the basic standards.

If the client has information in hardcopy only, BCN has volunteers who are willing to enter data for you.

If you're doing a technical assistance project, please refer to If You Read Nothing Else - Technical Assistance below.

What are the Steps for volunteering as a class Teacher & Assistant?

If you are volunteering to teach or assist at a BCN internet orientation:

1. Familiarize yourself with the Resource Materials for Public Orientations

Note that we have already developed a course outline, a script and handouts for this class.

• Once you are familiar with the basic outline of the course, plan to attend TWO orientations as an assistant. Assistants are there to help students if they need additional help to keep up with the instructor.
• While you are assisting, get familiar with the instructor and student PCs that you will be using at the CU Computing Center labs, where the orientations are generally held.
• Enjoy yourself! BCN consistently gets kudos from the community and students from these classes -- people love being introduced to the internet and its possibilities!!

How to contact other volunteers?

Occassionally, volunteers will need to contact other volunteers with regard to their activities with BCN Volunteer Projects. We expect all such communications among volunteers to follow general netiquette guidelines. Other than email addresses, the BCN Volunteer Coordinator will not share contact information about a volunteer with another volunteer or project client without the express consent of all parties involved. We encourage volunteers to use common sense when communicating with other volunteers -- or ANYONE -- online. We suggest your following this rule: don't reveal anything about yourself online to someone that you would not feel comfortable revealing to a stranger you met on the street.

How do I deal with inappropriate e-mail communications?

If at any point you receive ANY email that you feel is inappropriate, for ANY reason, and you believe you have received it in conjunction with your involvement with a BCN Project, please forward the email and other details about the communication to the BCN Volunteer Coordinator.

Last Update: , by the Volunteer Coordinator BCN Home Feedback About BCN Donate Search BCN Volunteer!