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tags: ols
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# Media Lab Nepal
`This is a template for you to summarize your OLS journey so far and the project you worked on during the entire period of OLS-1.
Example you can draw from: https://openlifesci.org/posts/2019/10/21/culture-track
## Project background
_I found the gap between mentors of bioinformatics and students in Nepal. It motivated me
to initiate this project to benefit high school level and bachelors level students who want to
start their career in bioinfomatics.
## Expectations from this program
_What did you expect or hope to learn from participating in OLS?_
Expectations/Hopes:
1. To learn about Open Science in detail, different terms, process, open science projects going on around
2. Networking, Mentorship
3. To initiate this collaborative project
4. To learn about sustainability and feasibility of open science project
## Goals set at the beginning of the project
_Missions and goals set in the beginning of your project in OLS_
Goals:
1. To learn Open Science more
2. To intiate the project atleast upto first stage of connecting first group of mentor
and mentees
3. To develop a website , add more contributors and members
## Key understanding and accomplishments
_List 2-3 things you've learned or accomplished whilst participating._
1. Learned Open Science more, learned to build open community
2. Initiated the project
3. Learned to use different tools like github, gitter, hackmd, learned to make website
etc for collaborative project
4. Learned about roadmapping, designing and empowering for inclusivity-all skills, giving feedback methods etc.
5. Completed Carpentries Instructor Training Proramme
## The main goals achieved in this project
_Was this the same as goals above, that you originally set?_
1. First round of Mentors-mentees identified
2. Project is opened for collaboration through github
3. 3 sessions organized through Zoom and Jitsi, was effective
4. Engagement of participants themeselves for organizing session
5. Facebook group created
### The initial steps
_Starting out - what did you do to explore the problems / project?_
1. Problem Validation (these steps were easy as I was already engaged in open community lab)
2. Interview inperson
3. Consulted with potential mentors
4. Goals, topics designed
5. Research on open science condition of Nepal, students problems
### What elements helped you get there?
_Discussions, connections made, activities carried out, mentors consulted, other?_
1. OLS mentorship, calls, resources provided after each session, interactions with other open seeds
2. Interview, interaction with target members of our community and potential mentors--Feedback
3. Networking, communication skills
4. Tools like Open canvas, roadmapping, Personas and Pathways
5. Also used OLS's slides in one session for giving information to participants about Open science, leadership
## Next steps
### My immediate next step is to...
_Whether you're launching something, bringing someone new in, adding governance, or writing up a project plan or case study - what's happening next?_
1. Connecting with more students and mentors- campus ambassador selection,
2. Improving the website
3. Engaging more contributors
4. Running sessions regularly, syllabus optimization
5. Making our participants familar with gitter, slack ( still fb group is our main method for discussion)
### Longer term tasks
_What will be the long term goals and sustainability plans - this can also be about starting your project if you did not do that already_
1. Mentees from outside the country
2. Project other than bioinformatics, eg related to frugal innovations
### Staying connected
_Do you plan to stay in touch with the OLS community or other members? If yes, how do you think you can do that?_
1. By email, twitter
2. Contributing to future works of OLS community as alumni
3. By github page
4. Inviting OLS members and mentors as mentors of the project I am continuing
## Special mentions and acknowledgements
_Please mention ideas, lessons and people who helped you achieve whatever you could in this project so far_
1. Aidan Budd (mentor)
2. Malvika Sharan (mentor)
3. Yo Yehudi
4. Bérénice Batut
5. MLN community
6. OLS community, All Open seeds
Special moments- Selected for OLS programme, finding Aidan and Malvika as mentors, question selected as icebreaker question, winning OLS paper trophy etc.