SCC-PG: Cultivating a Smart Equity-Driven Policymaking Infrastructure to Improve Youth Learning Opportunities

随着越来越多的人致力于解决获得优质学习的不平等问题，这项智能互联社区规划补助金支持创建一个由芝加哥市政府机构、社区校外时间（OST）计划提供商、学校、资助组织、家庭和芝加哥青年组成的协作工作组，以创建一个智能、公平的校外学习基础设施，更有效地分配学习资源，例如空间、导师、技术和资金，以根除芝加哥的校外学习沙漠。该项目响应了建立和加强利益相关者之间联系的迫切需要，包括城市机构，非正式教育工作者，校外项目负责人，学区领导人，家长和青年，对OST产品有基于证据的理解。有关计划和提供者组织的丰富性和多样性、计划的位置、计划的能力、青年兴趣和青年人口的信息可以用于有效地改善芝加哥的OST学习生态系统的健康。该项目将提供一个可操作的框架，包括政策，实践，资助模式和协作结构，支持智能，数据驱动的方法，以创造公平的校外学习机会。在现有的OST学习生态系统中，这个项目需要一个社区-通过将关键利益相关者聚集在一起并使用交互式智能工具促进对话，以评估当前OST学习环境的驱动方法例如数据可视化和GIS地图、基于社区OST程序、城市和人口统计数据的分层。这一信息可帮助利益攸关方讨论和扩大开放源码软件的学习机会和资源有限社区青年的参与，并使之多样化。其成果将是一个社会技术框架，与芝加哥的主要学习利益相关者共同创建，其中将包括一套智能，数据驱动的技术，使一个强大的，校外学习生态系统定制社区青年的需求。这一可操作的框架将包括城市和社区两级的政策、做法和结构，这些政策、做法和结构来自于定义社会技术基础设施和共享语言，确定抑制或支持学习利益相关者之间合作的政策和做法，和共同创造社区实践-该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Amid growing commitment to address inequities of access to quality learning, this Smart and Connected Communities Planning Grant supports the creation of a collaborative working group consisting of Chicago city agencies, community-based out-of-school time (OST) program providers, schools, funding organizations, families, and youth in Chicago to create a smart, equitable out-of-school learning infrastructure that more effectively allocates learning resources, such as spaces, mentors, technology, and funding, in order to eradicate out-of-school learning deserts in Chicago. This project responds to the critical need to build and strengthen connections among stakeholders, including city agencies, informal educators, out-of-school program leaders, school district leaders, parents, and youth, with an evidence-based understanding of OST offerings. Information about the abundance and diversity of programs and provider organizations, location of programs, capacity of programs, youth interest, and youth population can be used to effectively improve the health of Chicago’s OST learning ecosystem. This project will contribute an actionable framework consisting of policies, practices, funding models, and collaboration structures that support a smart, data-driven method to create equitable out-of-school learning opportunities.Working in an existing OST learning ecosystem, this project takes a community-driven approach to evaluating the current OST learning landscape by bringing together key stakeholders and facilitating the conversation using interactive smart tools such as data visualizations and GIS maps, that layer community-based OST program, city, and demographic data. This information can help stakeholders discuss and expand and diversify OST learning opportunities and participation among youth in resource-constrained communities. The outcome will be a socio-technical framework, co-created with key learning stakeholders in Chicago, that will include a suite of smart, data-driven technologies that enable a robust, out-of-school learning ecosystem customized to the needs of neighborhood youth. This actionable framework will consist of policies, practices, and structures at both the city and community levels derived from defining a socio-technical infrastructure and shared language, identifying policies and practices that inhibit or support collaboration among learning stakeholders, and co-creating practices for community-based collaboration to transform and activate a new OST ecosystem.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.