Goals of a Social Networking Symposium for NIH Staff

AIDS.gov note: Earlier this month, AIDS.gov presented an overview on using new and social media to approximately 400 Federal staff from the National Institutes of Health. (The session was offered both live and via webcast.) We applaud NIH’s commitment to providing ongoing educational opportunities for their staff.

Megan Morena, Janice Nall, Miguel Gomez

To learn more about the event itself, Marina Broitman, from the National Institutes of Health, provided her assessment:

It’s challenging to keep up with the lingo and the technology provided by the Internet and new media environments. Experts talk about the immense opportunity for commerce and knowledge transfer — how can scientists get in on the action?

What is the United State's Plan to Respond to HIV on the Home Front? National AIDS Strategy Public Meeting

On Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 2 pm, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) and HHS will provide an update on the framework for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and provide an opportunity for participants to meet the Federal HIV/AIDS Interagency Working Group. This group is made up of representatives from agencies working on HIV/AIDS across the Federal government, including White House offices, and is responsible for developing the NHAS.

What if Your Organization Doesn't Have Enough Computers to go Around?

Guest post by Circe J. Gray Le Compte, Director of Communications, National Minority AIDS Council

We often talk about the ease of using new media tools, and the fact that many of them are free or low-cost ways to get the word out about your services and resources. But what if your organization doesn't have enough computers to go around? And what type of assistance do experts in the HIV community need to become experts in using all the tools available to support their work? We spoke to Circe J. Gray Le Compte, Director of Communications at the National Minority AIDS Council , about one program that aims to address these questions. Here’s what Circe had to say:

Melva L. Florance, Executive Director of LaStraw

The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) , with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of AIDS Research (OAR), oversees the Equal Access Initiative (EAI) Computer Program. Through this initiative, we award computer equipment and software to qualified minority faith-based and community-based organizations in the U.S. and its territories that deliver HIV and AIDS services in underserved communities. Since its inception, the EAI has helped hundreds of minority-focused organizations provide clients access to online HIV and AIDS-related information — clearinghouses, news sites, and trainings — enabling them to make informed choices related to prevention, treatment, and care.

Looking Towards the Future with Mobile

By Jeremy Vanderlan, AIDS.gov Web Developer

In the past week, text messaging to raise funds for earthquake relief in Haiti demonstrated the potential of mobile phones to offer simple solutions to help those in need. The emergence of smart phones , mapping technology and mobile applications has dramatically increased mobile use — a recent poll from the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 83% of adults surveyed have some type of cell phone . At AIDS.gov, we asked ourselves what we should be doing to integrate mobile technology into our work on public health, HIV/AIDS, and new media. I recently attended the Gov Goes Mobile workshop, gave a presentation on some of our work at AIDS.gov, and heard take-away messages from leaders in the field.

Voices of New Media Leaders Across the Country- A Few Highlights from 2009

By Miguel Gomez

In last week’s post I shared some of our new media lessons learned from the past year, and this week I’m excited to share with you a short video highlighting voices and new media lessons learned from several of our Federal and community partners. From San Francisco to Oklahoma to Washington, DC, to texting, podcasts, social networks, and more, you’ll hear about how AIDS service organizations and government agencies are using new media tools in response to HIV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU1a2TfvQAs

The transcript of this video can be found on AIDS.gov.

We look forward to continuing the dialogue with you in the year ahead. How has new media inspired you to take action? And what would you like to see more of from AIDS.gov in the year ahead? Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2010!