It is interesting to note the volunteer opportunities available to people with I.T. related skills. That such opportunities exist speaks to the ubiquity of computers and software in our daily lives. Computing has become so normalized as to be considered a necessity for economic growth, job searching, educational opportunity, and other services.
Here are some local volunteer opportunities in my local area, Boise, Idaho.
BSU Computer Repair Fair
The Boise State University Association of Information Technology Professionals is hosting a free computer repair day. The event is open to the community and volunteers with strong troubleshooting ability are strongly encouraged to help. The group needs more advanced I.T. professionals to augment the student volunteers. More information is available at this website.
Boise Code Camp
The Code Camp series is a national event with local flavor and execution. This annual weekend event focuses of teaching classes in software development “by developers, for developers”. For more on the Boise event, see BoiseCodeCamp.com.
Your Local School
I have found that my local school is always in need of a little I.T. help. It could be anything from setting up a network, to setting up backup systems, to teaching basic HTML to 8th graders. I have done all of the these to great appreciation by the staff and teachers alike. Just send an email to your local principal and ask how you might help. They’ll route you to the right staff member and be thrilled with the offer.
Geeks Without Borders
No, seriously. It’s like the Peace Corp with computer hacking skills. http://www.gwob.org/
CharityFocus
Help build websites for other non-profits. More information available here.
Open Source Software
Consider this the ultimate software-related volunteer opportunity. The gift of time is the ultimate gift. Pick something and hop in there.
What other opportunities do you know about out there?
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