MADDOG'S DOGHOUSE: Linux Club Organization

Fostering an after-school Linux Club by encouraging participation

-  JON "MADDOG" HALL

When I was growing up, we had a saying that people needed to have “skin in the game.” The saying meant that in order to create the best you had to participate and not just be a spectator. Recently I suggested that a Linux Club (lpi.org/ clubs) be started at a progressive high school near me. My contacts at the school thought this was a great idea.

Starting an after-school club for FOSS is often a lot easier than trying to intermix FOSS into an existing program in a school. You do not have to change the school’s curriculum or interfere with the school’s certification. The school board does not have to be involved, and parents can regulate whether their children attend or not. Rather than try to put the club during school hours (and possibly limiting the attendance of some students), usually an after-school club can be available to all.

However, I still hesitated. I did not want to commit to an ongoing weekly or semi-weekly club when the only skin in the game would be mine.