---
description: Your ultimate destination for making side projects happen.
---

# Welcome to Backyard 🌴

## ✨ Why [BKYD](http://bkyd.community)?&#x20;

> "No matter what you choose, build stuff and be around smart people. “Stuff” can be a lot of different things—open source projects outside of class, a startup, a new sales process at a company you work at—but, obviously, sitting around talking with your friends about how you guys really should build a website together does not count." - Sam Altman

We truly believe that if students were given more opportunities to pursue independent projects, they would feel more fulfilled and have more confidence and experience to pursue their interests once they graduate. We then pin-pointed our main problem we wanted to focus on: How might we create a more established community of self-starters with the goal of executing their independent projects?&#x20;

## 🔮 Our Vision

**Community for makers**\
Everyone should be able to see their work and share it with the broader community. These ideas are not only for you, but to be shared. We want to remember that we have the resources to take action on what we’ve set up to accomplish.\
‍\
**University of everywhere**\
**‍**The University of Everywhere means education should be accessible to anyone anywhere. It's learning by getting your hands dirty and learning from others who are doing the same. It's also to stay open-minded to ideas worth exploring. \
‍\
**Playbook for everyone** \
**‍**We want this to be a movement. We have aspirations that every college, organization, or institution will be able to take on this initiative with our resources. Our vision is to create a toolkit that any community can use to create their version of BKYD.&#x20;

## 👉🏻 Joining BKYD

### Step 1: [Submit your project idea](https://backyard1.typeform.com/to/P9Pnf3) 🌴

Doesn't have to be fleshed-out, having one is step one. You can submit **anytime**.

### Step 2: [Join our Slack channel](https://join.slack.com/t/bkyd/shared_invite/enQtNDcxNDE3NDA3MzI5LWZmNjBmZWZlYzVlNTYzMTZkMmZkODMyNzlkNmZhMThjODM5MWMwNzNlMWUxZGIxYThmNjYyNjNkYWU2NjUzNTI) #️⃣

Say hi and introduce yourself in #general. Don't be shy.&#x20;

### Step 3: Check out this playbook 📓

This playbook contains information you need to kickoff, grow, and finish a project. Start with:&#x20;

{% content-ref url="ideas/finding-ideas" %}
[finding-ideas](ideas/finding-ideas)
{% endcontent-ref %}



