Jedi Training Academy & Risks of the Internet

This week has been challenging – I’ve been charged with planning a Jedi Training Academy for my son’s fifth birthday party.  One challenge is that I’ve NEVER seen a Star Wars film.  Another challenge is that I don’t have the time or interest between now and the upcoming “Academy” to watch one of them.  So, I’ve been using Google to do some research and while this has been helpful, not all my information gleaned from the Internet has been accurate.  My son was quick to point out for example, that having Darth Vader conduct light saber training would NOT be OK.  My cool parent factor is in jeopardy.

Why is this relevant?  It’s a great reminder to all of us that the Internet is an incredibly valuable tool, but it has its limitations.  For the busy nonprofit professional or volunteer, we find ourselves using Google to research any number of things – legal issues, statistics, samples, etc.  Sometimes we get great results and sometimes we get false information.  This can be a little dangerous considering you often don’t know the information was false until it’s too late.  This month’s post in the Best Practices Hub is another example – lots of great ideas for engaging young people are available on the Internet – but will these work for your organization?  Are they the right fit?

On our KNN site and in this enewsletter, we do our best to only link to accurate, timely, relevant information from solid sources.  Our Principles & Practices for Nonprofit Excellence in Kentucky tools were researched, reviewed and researched some more.  In our educational opportunities and member benefits, we strive for the same commitment to quality.  Like you and your organization, we want everyone who comes into contact with KNN to have a great experience – whether it be at our annual KY Nonprofit Leadership Forum or with one of our Discount Partners.  Sometimes we fall short and when we do, we want to hear from you  – it might be painful, but we want to know.

So, I’m back to finalizing the details of the upcoming Jedi Training Academy (and I’m open to your suggestions that will win me some points with my son) and am proceeding with caution in using the Internet, social media and other tools – recognizing that they are merely tools.  Valuable, but limited.

May the force be with you (something new I’ve learned)!

Danielle Clore

Executive Director