- Alyssa Sharpe
Friends of Digi-Bridge-
At about 4:00pm today, I crashed. All the caffeine in the world wasn’t going to get me past 6:00pm. After wrapping up a project with the city, I came home and jumped into bed for an hour of shuteye.
It’s about 8:30pm and I’m ready to tackle this post and my email. Apologies in advance if your inbox is bombarded tonight.
Why so tired? Well, #STEAMSaturdays and Rihanna are partly to blame, but the extreme tiredness I felt today can only be attributed to my inability to resist a Jam!
Last year, Charlotte jammed for the first time. If you missed #GovJamCLT, or aren’t familiar with the Jam concept, read more here.
Moments after the inaugural event, I was probably quoted as saying “never again.”
Days and weeks after the event, I was following the social media conversations and watching new relationships form that I know have positively impacted our city.
Months after the event, I got to participate as a Jammer. This time, at #CityJamCLT, I wasn’t worried about a run of show, Internet bandwidth or the temperature of the evening’s meal.
Knight School of Communication at Queens University hosted #CityJamCLT asking Jammers to “bridge the digital divide in 48 hours.” Four teams moved through design thinking exercises to develop innovative solutions aimed at eliminating the digital divide in Charlotte.
#CityJamCLT teams presented prototypes including a mobile electronic engagement platform (MEEP), a micro-app for neighborhoods, a small business bootcamp and smart wastewater treatment systems.
While I spent most of my time supporting the small business bootcamp prototype, my eyes post-Jam are on the mobile electronic engagement platform (MEEP) for all the obvious reasons. I look forward to continuing this important conversation and encourage you to join me.
Thank you Bruce, Kendra and all those involved with this tremendous effort. Together, we will #bridgethedivide by Jamming… and taking hour-long naps on Monday afternoons.
DJ
P.S. Thank you Anna (5th grade) for allowing me to use this photo of your beautiful prose. You’ve got my vote!
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