Donation campaign on the next gear and Merry Christmas!

I am inviting more ICT-companies (and individuals, of course) to participate in the Finnish donation campaign. Now is the last stage of the campaign as I am in discussion with the Finnish Ministry of Education about finding a time slot to hand out a Diploma of Donated Books to the Minister of Education. It would be grand to have a really impressive list of companies in that diploma. You can help! I have some books left in the preorder stock of Finnish books, so just order books at https://www.dragonsout.com/p/preorder-dragons-out-book.html and you'll participate in the donation! Thanks to my employer Knowit for issuing the donation challenge earlier - now, let's finalize it!

Consequently, I'm also inviting more schools to make use of the donations. So far it has been mostly grades 4-9 in various schools and some coding clubs which have taken the book and the supporting teaching material into use. The form for expressing interest to receive donations is at https://www.dragonsout.com/p/receiving-donated-books.html 

Already, the numbers are very good - but let's make them bigger!  I gave thanks to the donating companies and supporting associations in my Publishing Event of the Finnish edition of Dragons Out! book on December 16, 2020. By that time, there were 20 companies donating to almost 60 schools. Here is the list of donating companies that want to bring the vital message of software testing to schools. Many thanks to these donators: Knowit, TietoEvry, Q-Factory, Vala Group, Tieturi, Qentinel, Testimate, Nitor Delta, Contribyte, Prove, Lekman Consulting, Finnish Software Measurement Association FiSMA ry, Codento, Veikkaus, Finnish Software Testing Board FiSTB ry, Alten, Akari Software, Laurimark Oy and Mikko Kaloinen Foundation. Also great thanks for support to Tivi-magazine, Finnish Information Processing Association TIVIA ry, Software e-business Finland ry, Finnish Association of Software Testing TestausOSY,  Mathematics and Sciences Teachers Association  MAOL ry. Also, I donated personally one book to schools for each 3 sold copies of the book. And for creating the amazing hardcover experience of the book, I'd like to extend my special thanks to my dear Finnish publisher, Avain!

The book includes the free support material i.e. a PowerPoint presentation and its YouTube recording with fun exercises https://www.dragonsout.com/p/presentation-for-teachers.html. The presentation is  Creative Commons -licensed, and it is suitable to also to those without the book. So, share this piece of information freely. In fact, let's share as much as possible, as I would like to reach all the schools in the world! Currently the presentation is only in Finnish but I'll translate it to English soon.

As for donating books in other countries, using the English Edition of the book, I would invite interested companies to preorder the English version of the book and organize local donations and publicity. This is where I need the help of all the IT and Software Testing Companies and Associations. This is our shared chance to reach all the schools in the world with our message of software testing!

The English version of the book is steadily taking steps towards publishing. The book has passed House Styling and Proof Reading stages in the publishing process at my English publisher Austin Macauley. I look forward to the next steps. The book will be in your hands soon enough!

Finally, I'd like to wish all an amazing and safe Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!




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