Using Data to Engage Youth in their

Neighborhoods

Leo Burd & Danielle MartinDepartment of Play

MIT Center for Civic Media & Intel Computer Clubhouse NetworkJanuary 27, 2012 - MetroBoston Data Common Data Day

2

Session Goals

1 Present facilitation framework for youth engagement and participation

2 Review case studies of technology tools developed in community settings

3 Hands-on, co-design activity

4 Discuss next steps for taking it back to your projects

5 Provide references to existing frameworks, resources & tools

3

Icebreaker

What’s in your pocket?

Lay out every tool in your pocket or bag

that you could use

to engage youth in a community setting?

4

How can technology

foster youth

empowerment?

action-research life cycle

Although existing technologies could be used

to foster youth inclusion, participation and local civic

engagement, most tools are either too complex or lack

appropriate functionality for the task.

http://www.departmentofplay.org/

We aim to develop an easy-to-use, open-source digital toolkit with corresponding curricula and pedagogical guidance to help young people:

• Capture neighborhood knowledge by taking photographs, measuring distances, collecting data, recording interviews and constructing local maps

• Represent and share local information as “spatial narratives” integrating digital media in an online platform

• Organize civic engagement initiatives through an advocacy forum for children and adolescents to reflect, share, and act critically in their local communities.

Goals

Community working group

10

Examples of technology tools for youth voice & activism

1 Balloon mapping

2 Phone based audio blogs and tours

3 Youth-designed mobile apps

GrassrootsMapping.orgwarren@mit.edu

Grassroots Mapping

15

My City, My Future

16

17

18

organization of personally meaningful community events

VoIP Drupal is…

A software platform that facilitates the construction of Drupal

sites that literally pick-up the phone, make calls, record

messages, send and receive text messages, run voice polls,

and more.

VoIP Drupal modules

Potential VoIP Drupal applications• Go Out to Vote campaigns• 2-1-1 and 3-1-1 hotlines• Phone-based community surveys• PTA and other meeting reminders• Story recording / playback• Group voicemail• Audio speed dating services• Language training• Audio tours• Adventure games

• Interactive community radio programs

• Emergency announcements

• And much more!

Android App Inventor

MIT Center for Mobile Learning

Android App Inventor - Design

Programming

GO! App for That?

1 Form small group – put yourself in youth mindset

2 Identify a local challenge in your neighborhood

3 Identify existing resources, including data or existing ways to gather data

4 Brainstorm platforms, functionality, and features

5 Mock up your app idea interface design

6 Elevator pitch – present your app idea in 1 minute!

Activity adapted from the Applications for Good App Workshop 2011 http://applicationsforgood.org/app-workshop-template/

Define your Challenge: Needs & User Story

Need User Story

Based on general categories such as health, employment, education, financial literacy, and fun describe some specific needs in your local area

1. Describe an actual person, getting specific around demographics, housing, resources.

2. A description of daily experiences

3. A description of specific difficulties.

Choose from App Features and Functionality Menu

Phone Type Functionality

Basic voice, camera, text message

Feature email, send photo, may have full keyboard, some apps

Smart gps, accelerometer, apps, maps, wifi, hotspot, voice to text etc.

Things to keep in mind to facilitate youth engagement

• Put tools into hands of youth

right away!

• Interest-based, youth-led

learning

• Start from needs and audience

identification, then choose a technology tool

• Co-design

• Partner with existing youth groups and bring resources,

innovations and technology tools to them

For additional information

http://www.departmentofplay.org/

@deptofplay

departmentofplay@media.mit.edu

leoburd@media.mit.edu

dmmartin@mos.org

http://departmentofplay.org/Using+Data+to+Engage+Youth+in+their+Neighb

orhoods