Utopian Vision: Building Community through Knowledge Clara Dorfi and David Waite

Problem Statement Definition Goals Workshop Proposal Conclusion Outline Problem Statement Definition Goals Workshop Proposal Conclusion

Problem Statement

Automation is changing the economic landscape and jobs are beginning to disappear as a result. How do people learn from each other and become flexible learners in a world in which institutions of higher learning are becoming irrelevant? Disparity in socio-economic background and increased use of technology has cultivated a divided population. How can we encourage people to know their community better and develop an attitude of collective empathy? Problem Statement

Definition

Definition A network of skill sharing organized at the local level. A government agency will use an algorithm to match people together with others in and out of their disciplines. People will learn new skills continuously throughout their lives, and make personal connections from people from various backgrounds. Definition

Historical Context The Internet of Things (Enables the sharing of anything with anyone from anywhere); i.e: Khan Academy, Meetup, Skillshare.com, etc. United States: Jury Duty (compulsory civic duty) Some countries, like Israel, have mandatory conscription services (i.e. military service) Manufacturing towns (coal mining, etc.) Apprenticeships

New Problems Near Term Long Term occasional crime (some will take advantage) rejection/protest; surplus of skilled workers (maybe not enough demand) accountability understanding the landscape of the labor economy and any gaps in skills would just begin to gather data/statistics attitude/culture change (people are more empathetic and think of others’ well-being) more consistent socio-economic status among population (less income inequality)

Desirability Feasibility Achievability A world where everyone is empathetic towards others. An economy where we can experience the benefits of automation without the loss of jobs. People make time in their lives to interact with strangers and learn from them. The learning of skills and knowledge is an integral and accepted part of society. Government bureau that organizes skill sharing. Voluntary participation, but encouraged by government and employers because of long term economic and social benefits

Goals

Immediate Testing small-scale models of our system with different groups of people to determine its broad appeal; speak with government experts about the feasibility of an institutional framework

Near term Initiation: a small, tight-knit community able to prove that a program like this works in their community Social: Disrupting comfort of higher social classes; creating skepticism in lower social classes (pre-existing tensions and perceptions of the other will make the program slow-moving at first) Political: Balancing conflicting political interests (proving feasibility to different political factions in order to have a better chance at garnering support) Economic: Determining how to finance the program through city budgeting, taxation, state/federal grants, etc.

Long term Creation of a new government department (“Local department of SkillShare,” “Skillshare Management,” “Department of Socialization”) Attitude/cultural change Adaptable, self-sufficient communities

Workshop

1 2 3 Workshop

Workshop

Positive Feedback Obstacles Observations Concerns over accountability/ lack of preparation Lack of compatibility Different ways of learning and teaching Excitement about the social development aspect Good way to build community and bring people together People connect over shared interests and curiosities Prompts and thought starters are helpful in spurring conversation

Proposal

DIY Pop up Public Space Repurposed structures in public spaces Branded, easily recognizable Provides most basic assets to put on a workshop Connects to the “Workshop” app- users can see where pop up workshops are active and have the choice to attend in person or tune in to a live broadcast

What next? Putting on consistent and organized “pop up” workshops Have enough people doing this that it reaches a government level Begin to engage in conversations with local governments to try something like this on a small but official scale. Encourage thought within communities about skills and skill sharing Collecting information and data about skills from voluntary participants Working on an algorithm that makes pairings.

Questions?