USC Annenberg’s Network Culture Project awarded more than $1 million Linden dollars – the currency used in the virtual world Second Life, which is approximately $4,000 in U.S. dollars – to the three winners of the “Second Life and the Public Good Community Challenge.”
During the past two weeks, five finalists selected from 27 initial entries have worked in Second Life to create spaces devoted to philanthropic causes. Each team has also advocated for additional funding, encouraging visitors to vote in support of their project. It was made possible with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
“Under the leadership of principal investigator Doug Thomas we’ve spent the last year exploring the affordances of virtual worlds," project manager Tori Horton said. "This community challenge is just one example of opportunities that leverage what happens in the virtual world to directly impact the physical world."
Said Thomas: “We were deeply impressed by the scope and capability of the projects that came in," adding that proposals were judged based on two criteria – unique uses of the abilities and affordances of Second Life and real world potential for impact.
Each of the top three community-supported teams will receive $300,000 Linden dollars and virtual "land" in Second Life through the end of 2008. With a total of 409 votes counted, the three winning teams - in no particular order – are Ability Commons, Native Lands Cultural Outreach, and Texas Obesity Research Center. Their projects are as follows:
- Ability Commons: A virtual space dedicated to providing support for those living with disabilities. The purpose of the project is to provide a space for educating people about a wide range of disabilities, and to provide a common safe space for discussion and socialization.
- Native Lands Cultural Outreach: The Native Lands project will work to develop a comprehensive virtual community in Second Life for native groups throughout the world. The project will provide educational information and social services to support the community.
- Texas Obesity Research Center: The Texas Obesity Research project plans to create a virtual space for discussion and education about issues related to, and treatment of, obesity. By removing physical barriers, the project hopes to education in a neutral environment.
In addition, the Network Culture Project will provide additional support to the remaining two finalists. They will each receive $50,000 Linden and virtual land in Second Life to continue development of their projects.
“What an opportunity for all of us to be in the midst of this chance to help drive really disruptive innovation, to drive the kind of change that we’ll all look back on, you know, a decade from now and say, ok, that’s when virtual worlds really started changing the real world,” Second Life co-creator and USC Annenberg spring 2008 lecturer Cory Ondrejka said. “That’s when virtual worlds really started impacting the real world.”
