My PA

What’s your idea?

An online system that sends out reminders by SMS (whatever online communication suits the young person) helping them to keep track of order restrictions, meetings, appointments, commitments.

It would be managed in conjunction with case workers and could offer tailored ‘nudges’ (for example reminders of appointments the night before) — and also more detailed advice (perhaps public transport info).

What is the problem your idea could address?

In our work with NEETs time management is a reoccurring problem, the young people have any number of important appointments but no regular routine — this would offer a collaborative way of helping them to organise themselves.

What’s really new about your idea?

It recognises the difficulty in adjusting to taking responsibility for scheduling themselves — and allows case workers help in that process. It’s also a way of offering help at the points it’s most needed.

What kind of impact will your idea make?

Missing appointments can have a big effect on how young people integrate with society, the lack of routine of work or study often leads them to miscalculate how long journeys take or how much rest they need. Often they will not manage money well enough to complete transport options — this is another way the app could help.

Why might people want to commission or pay for your idea?

Missed appointments also cost organisations working with young people time and resources. It’s possible that promoting public transport or health (walking options) could raise funds from the appropriate bodies.

What do you think the biggest challenge will be to making this work in practice?

Commitment from the case workers to use a new system alongside their existing methods, and getting the tone right so young people feel ownership of the system.

What inspired you to come up with your idea in the first place?

When working young offenders (we do a number of training courses using social media) it’s obvious that time management is a big factor. Those from Youth Offending Teams spend an awful lot of time an effort in making sure the young people are in the right place at the same time.

From 1-5, what stage of development would you say your idea was in?

This idea is at stage 1.

What can we do for you?

This project needs staff time and partners, and also a web development. If the app was to be produced then buy-in from the Youth Offending Teams would be crucia l — so access to people who could help that would be

If you’re not able to take the idea onward after the weekend, would you be happy for someone else to take ownership of your idea and move it forward?

Yes.

We’ve entered an idea for the Jail Brake competition. It’s a competition to find and support great ideas that could break the cycle of youth offending using simple web and mobile tools.

Here it is:

Usual Suspects

What’s your idea?

In a similar vein to ‘The Big Issue’ Young people are offered the chance to earn money by selling garments they design, online. They do a basic training course on industry and design then get to design clothes (thinking t-shirts, baseball caps only at present), basic marketing – they get to set the price and have their own online shop – profits are split between them and the company (if it was to become a social enterprise).  Should the participant re-offend, they can no longer participate in the project.

What is the problem your idea could address?

This idea would address unemployment & self esteem.

What’s really new about your idea?

It gives young people a real opportunity to understand the potential of entrepreneurship and do something for themselves. Gets them thinking outside of the usual industry options that are offered.

What kind of impact will your idea make?

There are many young people who are willing to take opportunity to move forward and so if the project can attract the ‘do-ers’, in the first instance. These young people can then become role models / peer mentors to others. Numbers wise, it would be low to begin with but there’s no reason why this project couldn’t become nationwide.

Why might people want to commission or pay for your idea?

Once the process is visualised, I believe it offers an exciting opportunity to really make a difference. There is potential to approach both public and private sector for support.

What do you think the biggest challenge will be to making this work in practice?

Overcoming a reluctant, low on confidence, client group. This is why engaging the ‘do-er’s at an early stage is crucial.

What inspired you to come up with your idea in the first place?

A project we deliver to young offenders using social media. Part of the project was to raise awareness of the possibilities of starting their own businesses. I thought this could maybe  be moved a step closer to reality.

From 1-5, what stage of development would you say your idea was in?

This idea is at stage 1.

What can we do for you?

This project needs staff time and partners. There are plenty of ‘off the shelf’ products to choose from in terms of any online shop options. Time would be important to find willing testers from probably youth offending teams, highlighting the ‘do-er’s. Also, securing a bespoke training package will require time.

If you’re not able to take the idea onward after the weekend, would you be happy for someone else to take ownership of your idea and move it forward?

Yes, but I am quite keen for our organisation to be involved in some way.

http://jailbrake.org/

Stuart was invited to talk at the West Midlands Regional Observatory’s ‘Sharing Information Digitally’ event.

You can listen to it onine here: Stuart Parker on Digital Inclusion

We have a 30 minute slot at this West Midlands Regional Observatory event, Tuesday 7th October. As their site says, “…exploring the whys and hows of making public data more accessible. We’ll also look at using social media to improve sharing data and information.”

I’ll be using the time to explore what digital inclusion actually means and to raise some stuff about how we might look at ensuring everyone benefits from the techno rush, not just those who are interested.

Not a huge amount of progress so far on the idea for a Digital Inclusion Unconference, but a great deal of support has been expressed.

So as support meets inaction, I’ve set up a wiki for people to help organise and it should also become useful nearer the time.

We’ve stuck a pin in the calendar and it landed on Saturday 14th November — we’ve also been doing some work securing a venue, but any thoughts you can contribute (which might even change the date etc) are welcome.

A few nights after the Digital Britain report was published, I had one of those niggling doubts rear itself at 2am. Apart from the focus of the report aimed more or less at infrastructure and my concerns regarding the vague understanding (and coverage) of participation (inclusion? engagement?), I see more potential harm than good happening as a result of the recommendations. Now I strongly believe that technology can benefit society in many ways but do we need to be aware of the speedy technology evolution in relation to how we keep up with it? With more and more services going online and moves to make data public to create better services and applications… the entire way stuff seems to happen online these days….do we risk further excluding those with basic digital skills? While there are the 15/16 million or so ‘excluded’, ie: don’t use the technology at all, how many more will become excluded (tiered exclusion?) if we don’t take a long, hard look at how we learn about these technologies and the ways we integrate them into our lives? The ‘learning’ aspect should not be playing constant catch up with the tools. New approaches?

I don’t believe the ‘Digital Life Skills’ as recommended by Estelle Morris, addresses this issue. Sadly, it sticks to old policies that really don’t do much in terms of the ‘digital divide’, in my opinion. Where are the initiatives to instigate meaningful engagement? (many digitally excluded people will not simply ‘ask’ for training or skills or ‘walk in’ to centres offering courses. Confidence is still a major barrier) Where are the initiatives that look beyond the ‘mainstream’ and highlight and support the stuff that’s really working? Why don’t we get the developers / mentors / trainers together with the service providers AND their customers, put them in a room for half a day and see what comes out at the end?

A few further questions I had was regarding the current recession. As people look to improve their skills in support of finding work, how many of them lack the understanding of today’s technology and the importance of online culture? Are current resources adequate enough to deliver this understanding?

8 out of 10 older people in the UK still can’t access online services – they aren’t media literate. SSD09 gives us all the chance to change that.

Media literacy, in today’s digital age, is more important than ever. It can facilitate a more convenient, cheaper, community-rich lifestyle. Older people, who have so much to gain from the online world, are still largely missing out. SSDO9 will reach many thousands of older people in hundreds of locations around the UK and do something very tangible about redressing that imbalance.

Digital Unite (DU) is managing the seventh annual Silver Surfers’ Day Campaign. Devised in 2002 by DU, SSD is the biggest annual media literacy campaign aimed at older people. (http://digitalunite.com )

(taken from digitalunite.com)

Here’s a link to the flyer for the fringe event – quite a big JPEG so it can be printed out. Basic details and a map included.

To coincide with this year’s National Digital Inclusion Conference, We Share Stuff are hosting a fringe event at Westminster Student Union bar, Inter:Mission. This informal meetup is a chance for delegates and non-delegates from the conference and further afield to mingle and discuss anything digital inclusion related. The event is free but registration is required. The whole thing kicks off @ 7.30pm and will end about 11.00pm. Monday 27th April 2009.

Please note: you do not have to be a delegate to attend. If you are interested in the digital inclusion agenda and can make the event, then please register: wesharestuff.eventbrite.com

Keep tabs on the blog for further news regarding the whole conference and event.

UPDATE – Share The Love has evolved! It’s time for The Twitterlizer!

To coincide with our stint at this year’s National Digital Inclusion conference in London, we’ve started a little fun campaign. ‘Share the Love‘ is about letting everyone know why you love the stuff that you love doing on the internet…simple! and then you can show someone who doesn’t know how to do it.. how to do it! simple again! It could be uploading a picture to Flickr with your mom.. it could be searching online for a new fence with your neighbour.. it’s up to you.. And if you can record what you did, by video, blog, twitter etc, you can share that love with everyone else too.. how pleasant!

We’ll be keeping a track of how much love is getting shared over on the ‘Share the Love‘ pages. If you want your video included on there just give us a shout.

For you Facebook fans out there, we’ve started a ‘Share the Love’ group too!

More details on what we have planned at the conference, coming soon!