LB Co-Lab
About:
As the digital revolution challenges old ways of doing business, Long Beach residents have told us that they lack pathways to implement their ideas AND feel ill-prepared for the emerging "smart" economy. The Long Beach Collaboratory (LB Co-Lab) addresses these gaps.
The LB Co-Lab will engage Long Beach community members in a collaborative engagement and training process to design and implement a technology solution that works for them.
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Deploy: LB Co-Lab participants will identify neighborhood needs in a series of collaborative brainstorming sessions, and then design an accessible technology solution to address an agreed-upon "challenge." The technology implemented through this program will ensure the City invests in technology enhancements based on community-identified needs. Example solutions include digital kiosks, charging stations, public wi-fi stations, interactive cultural augmented reality exhibits, and many more.
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Train: While designing and deploying technology infrastructure solutions in their neighborhoods, LB Co-Lab participants will also be taught professional skills in technology. They will receive career guidance for navigating the tech world and earn a credentialed technology certificate to support their professional development goals.
Focus Neighborhoods:
The City analyzed data on internet access, unemployment, age, education, and COVID-19 cases to identify four neighborhoods of focus. The LB Co-Lab is open to community members in the following neighborhoods: (1) Hamilton, (2) Ramona Park, (3) Lower Westside, and (4) Willmore.
Why should I participate?
The City will identify 5 to 10 community members from each of the four LB Co-Lab focus neighborhoods. We will select participants based on your interest in technology and your level of need for skill-building in technology and digital literacy.
Selected LB Co-Lab community members will receive the following benefits:
- You will participate in a collaborative process to design and implement a technology infrastructure project in your neighborhood
- You will receive a technology certificate and career guidance in a technology area that interests you
- You will receive a $1,000 stipend
- You will serve the public good and help your city
Eligibility:
To participate in the LB Co-Lab, we ask that you meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be age 18 or older
- Live, work, study, or have some affiliation with one of the four focus neighborhoods above. Please apply even if you live just outside of the neighborhoods of focus boundaries. We are seeking to be as inclusive as possible!
- Demonstrate an interest in technology
- Commitment: Agree to participate in the program throughout its duration. The LB Co-Lab will kick off in February 2023 and conclude in October 2023. We expect participants to attend one half-day workshop per month, in addition to spending time completing a self-paced technology certificate training program.
Contact:
For any questions, about the LB Co-Lab, please contact Ryan Kurtzman, Smart Cities Program Manager, City of Long Beach Department of Technology & Innovation, at ryan.kurtzman@longbeach.gov.
Our Partners:
