From the Computers in Education Society of Ireland mailing list comes this gem from Pauric O'Donnell at St. Eunans College in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal -

"I set up a twitter account that several staff have access to update using the web or mobiles, it means they can quickly add news about the school - such as snow days, etc. to the feed. I then embedded the feed onto the front page of the school website so now the updates appear there live.

The school also uses the feed to report live commentary from sporting events - for example goal alerts during a senior football game, updated by text by a teacher. The leader of the annual school tour to America also uses his mobile to update the feed with information for parents - such as "Landed in Boston Airport, all luggage collected, headed to hotel..." etc. to keep parents up-to-date."

A brilliant use of twitter and something all Irish schools should be doing. I've asked Pauric if it's Ag Tweet they're using to tweet by text and will report back later.

Via Damien Mulley -

From the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland website -

As I’m sure most of you have heard, the Arthur Guinness Fund is currently taking applications from Social Entrepreneurs around Ireland as part of the Guinness 250 Celebration.

Guinness & Co. has partnered with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland to implement the initiative, which will support projects that deliver lasting social, community and environmental benefits. It will seek to identify, support and empower social entrepreneurs who have projects and initiatives that are innovative, impactful and sustainable, and make a real difference to Irish society.

This Fund is seeking to find up to 25 social entrepreneurs over a two-year period within Ireland. Successful applicants will benefit from financial support (in the region of €100,000 per project) as well as practical support and advice. In addition, successful applicants will benefit from access to our wonderful Alumni Network. Be sure to spread the word to anyone you know who has a great idea and is eligible to apply.

For more information and to apply to the fund, please visit www.guinness.com, click on the Arthur Guinness Fund button and follow the instructions. Alternatively, you can access information on the fund directly here. The closing date for applications is the 31st of October so be sure to get your application in before then.

Don’t forget to read over the criteria carefully before applying, as the fund is not open to projects that are based overseas (or that have a primary overseas benefit) or projects where a significant focus is on activity involving people under 18 years of age.

Happily it didn't fizzle and within a few days we'd actually exceeded the target. So now we're collecting and would like to invite all pledgers to submit their donation to Outvesting.org. Thanks again.

While each debate has thrown up a number of good ideas there's a certain level of frustration with the realization that these discussions tend to go around in circles, often ending up with a consensus that the government needs to do more/better. While I can sympathise with that point of view I really think it's time that entrepreneurs in this country started doing more for ourselves, however insignificant it may seem by comparison. Initiatives like the Bizcamp, OpenCoffee Club and the IQ Prize demonstrate the power of 'self-help'.

While lots of figures have been bandied about during each of these discussions the sum of €5,000 keeps coming up as a baseline figure that a bootstrapping startup could do something useful with. It also happens to be the amount of funding I received in 2008 as a Level 1 awardee at Social Entrepreneurs Ireland.

Which is why we're using that same figure as the target for a new pledge drive seeking 100 people to donate €50 each to a startup competition. Outvesting is the name we're giving to this initiative and if/when the target €5,000 is reached we'll make a call for applications. Each of the donors will then review those applications and decide on a winner by poll. Whereupon the startup will be awarded with the €5,00 prize.

More details are available on the site, including the meaning behind the name Outvesting and how to pledge. At time of going to press (I've always wanted to write that) there are 83 pledges so you'll need to get in fast if you'd like to be part of the historical and epic 1st Outvesting fund drive :-)

[Very special thanks to John Keyes for building the webpage]

Here's a message I received from Erik van Lennep of Dublin Hub -

If you haven’t yet checked out the activity around co-creating a new co-working space for entrepreneurs and start-ups, now is the time. If you have been following us…well, now is STILL the time :). We need all hands, heads and hearts on deck to get this launched now.

We have had two co-creation and ideation workshops over the summer, and now we have a building available. On Thursday this week, our third co-creation workshop will bring everyone together for a fun evening and brown bag or “pot luck” supper. We will be drawing, making 2D mock-ups and variously brainstorming the best ways to arrange our work and dreams within a very beautiful open plan building near St Pat’s.

Invitation follows -

Making a HubSpace

Thursday, September 17th, 6:30-9:00pm
Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8

The Dublin Hub invites you to join us for Step 3 in the co-creation of our – your – workspace. We are gathering on-site to ‘put flesh on the bones’, and ideas onto space. We will apply our collective design flair and great ideas to map out a space that would be appealing to work in, would spark our creative powers, feel comfortable and welcoming, and convey a relaxed professional confidence to all who enter. We want a cool space to work in; attractive and inspiring, conducive to sharing experiences, knowledge and conversations.

The Hub experience comes from a blending of people, place and purpose. At its heart, Dublin Hub is about doing business differently….and better. We are not just thinking outside the box, we are redesigning the box itself, and that’s the point of the evening. We’re going to explore how the open space can be partitioned into potential meeting areas – a kitchen or canteen area, the main hot desk area, and whatever other thoughts we have (library, quiet area, chatting and chillout area, silent disco…).

We hope to grow as a convivial, collaborative community that’s conducive to creative thinking and cooperative working; one that will offer compelling opportunities to foster new business alliances, engage in virtual teams and develop meaningful and productive connections——all in a flexible and responsive workspace designed by its members to meet their requirements and realities and leave room for their dreams.

Where is this space? Fumbally Annex, Fumbally Court, Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8, just off New Road / Clanbrassil Street.

Remember: Thursday 17th September, starting at 6.30 pm and finishing ‘round 9.

As we like to say in the Hub community, you’re invited… and parking is free from 18:30 around the corner.