Organization

Building and sustaining a community around learning how to program in R relies on a core team of organizers who can take responsibility for managing the community and ensuring that it runs smoothly. The time commitment for each organizer may be around 0.1 FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) per organizer, depending on the size and scope of the community.

Funding opportunities

Securing funding can be a challenge, but there are resources available to help. In the Netherlands, there are several Open Science Communities that support initiatives like Programming Cafes. Consider reaching out to these programs (a partial list can be found here) to see if they would be interested in supporting your community. You can also explore crowdfunding options, ask your department head for budget allocation, or look for sponsorships from organizations that are aligned with your community’s goals.

Internal communication

Organized internal communication is critical to the success of any community. It’s important to have a clear and effective system for communication among organizers, including regular meetings and status updates. Consider using tools like GitHub project boards to track progress and assign tasks. It’s easy to create a template for monthly meetings, for example, and share a checklist of tasks that need to be completed for each monthly meeting.

Considerations for meeting planning

When it comes to planning community meetings, it’s important to stay organized and keep everyone informed. Make sure to have a clear plan for each event, and consider whether there will be a theme, who will be giving a presentation, and if you will be offering food or drinks. Create a schedule of events that can be published online and advertised ahead of time, and make sure to stick to it.

Reaching your audience

There are many technologies and tools available that can help you manage your community more effectively. For example, you can use Slack or Discord to communicate with members, create a website with GitHub pages to share resources and information, and use social media platforms like Twitter to promote your community and attract new members.

In conclusion, building and sustaining a community around learning how to program in R requires a dedicated team of organizers, clear communication, effective event planning, and access to resources like funding. By relying on a core team of organizers to make key decisions and create an overarching vision, you can create a thriving community that supports and inspires each other.