@pierreguillou @henripal @init_27
(Forums usually sends me a message when I have been tagged, but guess that’s not the case anymore, so this a bit tardy.)
My thoughts on the study groups:
Impact
Creating a shared document on impact of study groups is always beneficial (blogs, projects produced, people getting jobs, workshops given, speaking at conferences, etc.).
This impact report can also be used to obtain sponsorship, particularly funding of meetup dues.
Diversity & Inclusion
Good to keep track of how many women and URGs (under-represented groups) join, and how you can make your groups welcoming for them.
My recent podcast interview with extended discussion on diversity and inclusion: https://www.datacamp.com/community/podcast/women-in-data-science
Code of Conduct
Include a code of conduct on what behavior is acceptable and what is not. If you don’t have one, use this one (brief and to the point), and include attribution:
https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct
Structure of Study Groups
Not to discourage use of meetup functionality, but to share that meetups, unfortunately for those who invest in organizing the event, often have the culture of low appreciation/commitment by members of the community.
In NYC, Jon Krohn began a Deep Learning Study Group which he held (generally on Saturdays) at his place of work, Untapt. The space was fairly small, maybe seating for 30. It made organizing easier and he communicated via email in setting up the events. There were hardly any no-shows, and people were cognizant of communicating if they said they would attend but then did not. Because of space size, he did have to limit the number of people joining.
I am not discouraging meetup groups, simply sharing the challenges.