Community Collaboration Challenge 1: Are there strategies where we can capitalize on the hunger that students have for doing socially responsible tech to ensure that public interest technology is focused more on public interest than on the tech?

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Community Collaboration Challenge 1: Are there strategies where we can capitalize on the hunger that students have for doing socially responsible tech to ensure that public interest technology is focused more on public interest than on the tech?

What is the Impact?

Instead of assuming the interests and intentions of students in historically marginalized communities and groups around tech innovation, there is a need for developing better ways to integrate computer science into existing student spaces focused on public interst work. This can be working with groups focused on immediate community issues within the student body, such as engagement and support of first generation students on campus, or focusing more on supporting (financially and institutionally) the connection of students in public interst and tech disciplines to work on problems that they are connected with and passionate about.

Why is this difficult?

When specifically considering the funding and development of public interest technologies, the coordination and granularity of baseline information and metrics requires more time and effort. For those who have limits on their free time, have many responsibilities at home and at work, or are limited by their accessibility, this work can quickly fall out of reach. Those who are left are more privileged in their finances, time and, responsibilities, resulting in a lack of diversity and therefore a public interest that serves only a small number of people.

  • Community Collaboration (Advocacy), Education, Funding, Networking & Wireless Communications, Policy, Skills Training, Software Development, Trust