[Grants] Grant Application from Elena Williams for Django Girls Canberra #1

[Kathy Reid]

Hi everyone,

First I want to declare my association with Elena before providing 
feedback on this Grant - I know Elena from my time in Canberra, where I 
regularly attended Canberra Python events, and from the open source 
scene in general and I consider her a friend. I have no association with 
DjangoGirls.  I know Elena to be an excellent community organiser, so 
can personally attest to her capability to deliver here.


This Grant ticks "all the boxes" in terms of Grant proposals:

- it is aligned with the purposes of the community grants, and the 
intent behind them to re-invigorate open source communities inhibited by 
the pandemic

- it provides clear costings and project goals and tasks

- it provides alignment with codes of conduct

- it shows how the project is thinking about growing and sustaining the 
community - "bringing the experience to a new set of organisers", which 
is a growing concern for LA

This is an "easy yes" in my view.


Kind regards,

Kathy Reid

On 8/6/23 15:13, Linux Australia Website wrote:
> Your Email Address: ele.wil at gmail.com
> Project name: Django Girls Canberra #1
> Grant Type: Community Grant
> Aim of the project: Under the auspices of the Canberra Python Users Group and ANU student-lead STEM diversity initiative Fifty50 we’re looking to host the first “Django Girls” event in Canberra at ANU. The Django Girls events internationally have a storied record of inviting people to Python and Open Source who have never previously participated in FOSSD in a culturally supported manner, for free, run by volunteers in the spirit of open source.
> We have had the event approved by the Django Girls organisation internationally and have a web presence of published details: https://djangogirls.org/en/canberra/
> We are incredibly proud that all of the materials pertaining to these workshops are open source, not leastly the organising materials: https://github.com/djangogirls, https://github.com/DjangoGirls/organizer-manual. We delight in opening the door to specific, tangible and welcoming open source engagement to a new group of people and potential contributors.
> Further I am looking to bring this organising experience to a new set of organisers, with the hope of running these events at a cadence here in Canberra again (maybe half yearly if this inaugural event is successful), as we’re confident of the demand in the community, as well as the ongoing hunger for more people to have the ability to contribute to open source. I have been so inspired and heartened by the impact and engagement that we've seen these events have in the past and hope to perpetuate this here in my home town of Canberra.
> We subscribe to the PSF Code of Conduct within the User Group and are proactive in discussing this and any  need we might have in enforcing it. Specifically for the Django Girls event we are required to subscribe to their Code of Conduct and we will be proactively doing so. We will be abiding by COVID-19 restrictions that are in place for our region as part of our recognition by the international Django Girls organisation.
> Estimated cost breakdown of the project: Usually these events provide some small swag and catering for lunch and snack. We intend to run the event as efficiently as we can, but believe it would make a difference if we have support. Would be seeking support for being able to provide some of these.
> Our goal is for approximately: 12 coaches, 30 attendees and 4 organisers in attendance.
> Our initial budget looking something like:
> $75 -- stickers/merch
> $50 -- decorations
> $250 -- catering
> $50 -- treats
> $100 -- safety net
> **$525**
> Project team details: This inaugural event in Canberra will be co-organised by me (Elena Williams) and Alex Ware (both CPUG organisers), as well as several members of the Fifty50 organisation who all have a history of organising volunteer events, their current directorship is Emily, Pheobe and Kate. This team has collaborated on 2 smaller events so far this year, but this will be the first event lead by CPUG rather than Fifty50. Alex and I also both have the support of our employer Geoscape, who is donating our time and allowing us to have have some coaches locked in from from engineering teams. I have a history of organising academic events/conferences as well as these specific events, including event #2 (out of 1,039 that have been run in cities around the world to date), personally I have run these events in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and as part of PyCon US in Montreal (the first ever American event) as well, but not previously in Canberra.
> First Name: Elena
> Last Name: Williams
> Email Address: canberra at djangogirls.org
> A statement including a willingness to provide regular project updates on the project: We will send the Linux Australia council a summary of the event upon its completion reviewing its performance.  In addition we've had a volunteer come forward to photograph, and with sensitivities to photography waivers we hope to have an inspiring visual record (my mum, who I think a few people on the council have met). Further any members of Linux Australia council who are able to drop by on the would be very welcome to join us for a cupcake and to see the event for themselves!
> In advance I'd refer the committee to our application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1g214o74FysBPdnCeOz5F1TSqVelCioWUvVkVXulqoLA/ to see the culture and ideas we're purveying (yes, it is google form, but DjangoGirls org provides this account to us and it means that there is currently 3-way ownership between me, Alex and the main Django Girls org, which feels most responsible. We can also be certain of a certain degree of security on details). Note we are also pro-actively in contact with PyLadiesAU for support and also with the new DjangoGirls Adelaide event running along side PyConAU and are providing support to the team there.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Grants mailing list
> Grants at lists.linux.org.au
> http://lists.linux.org.au/mailman/listinfo/grants