Free blogging and social media workshops in Fergus Falls on June 23

Do you live around the Fergus Falls area and have been itching to learn how to blog and/or discover the many ways to engage your community using online tools? Then sign up for these two free workshops, Monday, June 23 at West Central Initiative, 1000 Western Ave., Fergus Falls. "Blogging in Your Community" will be held 3-5 p.m., followed by "Online Community Engagement and Social Media" from 5:30-7 p.m. A light supper will be served between workshops.

Blogs are a powerful online tool for individuals or organizations to share information and connect with others in their community. In the "Blogging in Your Community" workshop you’ll see examples of some of the best community blogging or citizen journalism projects in the country. The workshop will also walk you through the process of setting up a blog for yourself or your organization. You’ll learn about good content for your blog and how to promote your blog to others with shared interests. Wireless access is available, so feel free to bring your laptop.

"Online Community Engagement and Social Media" will be held 5:30-7 p.m. Online tools offer many new opportunities for individuals to connect with their neighbors to address important local issues, tell their shared story to a larger audience, or share important information with each other. This 90-minute workshop will include an online tour of some of the most interesting and innovative community media projects across Minnesota and provide innovative examples of how individuals are engaging with their communities online. The workshop will look closely at online local issues forums, community blogs and various examples of community journalism. It concludes with a discussion about how some of these tools might be used in your own community.

Both workshops are free, but registration is required. Please register by June 20 by calling 218-739-2239 or by sending an e-mail to sheri@wcif.org.

The two workshops are presented by E-Democracy.Org as part of its Rural Voices project funded by the Blandin Foundation. E-Democracy.Org is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that has been building and hosting online community forums since 1994, with ongoing projects in the US, UK and New Zealand.