This is a copy of my note to folks tied mostly to local CfA-affiliated brigades
- my goal is encourage folks from those efforts to join this online group for a
brainstorm:
Hey all, I invited most of you to join:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/knightcities
(Expect for the Twin Cities folks, please join.)
Who here is interested in exploring a possible collaboration for the
Knight Cities Challenge?
Of the "resident" Knight communities, all but Macon are here on this
cc: and I've found one email for Boulder, CO and Bradenton, Fla.
(Although, Robin, I know you come from the media/video world.)
Long story short, as a Knight grantee serving Saint Paul, for a period
we were frequently asked about some new national grantee coming in
from the outside with some new e-tool that we might use if we
essentially donated our time and energy to their effort. I think
Knight has figured out that this top down approach doesn't work well.
That said, when do citizens of multiple Knight communities actually
collaborate and say, this is something we can all use or build
together?
Enter the just announced Knight Cities Challenge: http://knightcities.org
Their frame of "the importance of talent, opportunity and engagement
is clear" is important. The challenge opens Oct. 1.
What might we come up with together on two big questions:
1. What’s your idea?
2. And what do you hope to learn from the work?
That is it for round one. I could image a joint proposal from 5 to 10
Knight communities asking for $500,000 to $750,000 total or something
far smaller to get a collective toe in the door doesn't involve funds
for each city. I strongly doubt a simple pass through would pass
muster, but a really good idea might.
I should note that up until this point before I learned of this
challenge, I was planting seeds for a possible multi-city use of
Poplus.org "re-usable civic tech components" with their media and
innovation program (not the Community/National side which is leading
the challenge) because to be frank, the media side remains more
interested in open government. That could still happen with
relationships being built here. (Note that Say It is being used in
Philly with a project engaging mySociety one of the Poplus leaders.)
So, regardless of this challenge, the opportunity for a collective of
local-up Knight community-based projects approaching the Knight
Foundation has real potential.
I've set up a simple online group for folks in Knight communities to
explore working together.
Please accept the invite (see your inbox or spam folder) or visit:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/knightcities
After a round of introductions and exchange on the online group, we
can do a Hangout or call if the interest is there.
Thanks,
Steven Clift
P.S. This is our current Knight grant: http://bit.ly/edemknight And
we've received $20K over two years for http://opentwincities.org via
our local Knight rep to sponsor hackathons, CityCamp, etc. Our big
focus is on "inclusive" civic tech and convening and lesson sharing in
our space.
P.S.S. Know anyone doing civic tech in:
Macon, GA, Aberdeen, S.D.; Biloxi, Miss.; Bradenton, Fla.; Columbia,
S.C.; Columbus, Ga.;
Duluth, Minn.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Gary, Ind.; Grand Forks, N.D.;
Lexington, Ky.; Long Beach, Calif.; Milledgeville, Ga.; Myrtle Beach,
S.C.; Palm Beach County, Fla.; State College, Penn.; Tallahassee,
Fla.; and Wichita, Kan."
- my goal is encourage folks from those efforts to join this online group for a
brainstorm:
Hey all, I invited most of you to join:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/knightcities
(Expect for the Twin Cities folks, please join.)
Who here is interested in exploring a possible collaboration for the
Knight Cities Challenge?
Of the "resident" Knight communities, all but Macon are here on this
cc: and I've found one email for Boulder, CO and Bradenton, Fla.
(Although, Robin, I know you come from the media/video world.)
Long story short, as a Knight grantee serving Saint Paul, for a period
we were frequently asked about some new national grantee coming in
from the outside with some new e-tool that we might use if we
essentially donated our time and energy to their effort. I think
Knight has figured out that this top down approach doesn't work well.
That said, when do citizens of multiple Knight communities actually
collaborate and say, this is something we can all use or build
together?
Enter the just announced Knight Cities Challenge: http://knightcities.org
Their frame of "the importance of talent, opportunity and engagement
is clear" is important. The challenge opens Oct. 1.
What might we come up with together on two big questions:
1. What’s your idea?
2. And what do you hope to learn from the work?
That is it for round one. I could image a joint proposal from 5 to 10
Knight communities asking for $500,000 to $750,000 total or something
far smaller to get a collective toe in the door doesn't involve funds
for each city. I strongly doubt a simple pass through would pass
muster, but a really good idea might.
I should note that up until this point before I learned of this
challenge, I was planting seeds for a possible multi-city use of
Poplus.org "re-usable civic tech components" with their media and
innovation program (not the Community/National side which is leading
the challenge) because to be frank, the media side remains more
interested in open government. That could still happen with
relationships being built here. (Note that Say It is being used in
Philly with a project engaging mySociety one of the Poplus leaders.)
So, regardless of this challenge, the opportunity for a collective of
local-up Knight community-based projects approaching the Knight
Foundation has real potential.
I've set up a simple online group for folks in Knight communities to
explore working together.
Please accept the invite (see your inbox or spam folder) or visit:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/knightcities
After a round of introductions and exchange on the online group, we
can do a Hangout or call if the interest is there.
Thanks,
Steven Clift
P.S. This is our current Knight grant: http://bit.ly/edemknight And
we've received $20K over two years for http://opentwincities.org via
our local Knight rep to sponsor hackathons, CityCamp, etc. Our big
focus is on "inclusive" civic tech and convening and lesson sharing in
our space.
P.S.S. Know anyone doing civic tech in:
Macon, GA, Aberdeen, S.D.; Biloxi, Miss.; Bradenton, Fla.; Columbia,
S.C.; Columbus, Ga.;
Duluth, Minn.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Gary, Ind.; Grand Forks, N.D.;
Lexington, Ky.; Long Beach, Calif.; Milledgeville, Ga.; Myrtle Beach,
S.C.; Palm Beach County, Fla.; State College, Penn.; Tallahassee,
Fla.; and Wichita, Kan."