BklynConnect is a community-driven wireless internet implementation in Osborn Plaza (in Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY) and intergenerational technology stewardship program with digital literacy training for volunteers. The goal is to prototype in one neighborhood what broad internet access and community-driven digital literacy education could look like. If successful, the project could be replicated across all of the 59 Brooklyn Public Library branches across Brooklyn, or can influence how organizations like BPL design and offer internet access and digital literacy education.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October | Met with community organizations in Brownsville and Bedford Stuyvesant to explore possible partnerships, continued Tythe Collaboration on Digital Access Needs Assessments and Playbook |
| November | Made CBO and government connections in Brownsville with Naila Rosario (BPL), contributed sections to the BklynConnect Playbook draft |
| December | Created research plan and survey for DiscoTech event in January |
| January | DiscoTech event at Brownsville Heritage House January 13th and 20th, worked with Brownsville Community Justice Center and Mayors Office of Technology and Innovation to design the structure for a project-based, co-designed curriculum for cohort of BCJC fellows around community information access |
| February | Beginning of BCJC youth fellowship |
| March | Middle of BCJC youth fellowship |
| April | Portable Network Kit training and installation of portable public wifi in local businesses |
| May | Public launch of free wireless network in Osborn Plaza and along Belmont avenue, and conclusion of youth internship. Mozilla Global Sprint. |
| June | Shared curriculum for a community-driven information portal published, along with finalized BklynConnect Playbook |
- Organize an event that can serve as an initial prototype of the digital fellowship, and a site to conduct user research
- Install the network in Osborn Plaza
- Covene a group of stewards
Milestone 1, January 13th and 20th, 2018: DiscoTech
Organize an event that can serve as an initial prototype of the digital fellowship, and a site to conduct user research
- ]Identify committed individuals and Brownsville leaders who might be able to bring interactive stations to DiscoTech](#4)
- Set up one Saturday to workshop workshops and stations, and for people of all ages to co-plan the event, with help
- Secure a space and a date
Milestone 2, by April 14th, 2018: Osborn Plaza Installation
- Meet with Rawle Jackman and the Mayor's office to go over everything that is needed to do this
- Install wireless access point
- Meet with Greta Byrum and Raul Enriquez from New America to make this access point possibly extensible into a mesh network in the future
Milestone 3, February and March, 2018: Convene participants
- identify the type of people and type of outcomes the program should be designed to prioritize
- work with an organization that has capacity to host stewards
- explore ways to pay stewards
Milestone 4, May 10-11: Mozilla Global Sprint
- find ways to involve the expertise of people outside of Brownsville in the project
- find a way to encourage people to learn from and replicate our process
- Help plan and promote the bklynConnect intergenerational digital literacy pilot event
- Share links to helpful curricula, projects, and people
- Become a digital steward