With logistical changes and developments happening in Raleigh everyday, more students are finding ways to get involved in local affairs. Major technological advances allow both international and local communities to explore ways to connect with their citizens, and the team at CityCamp Raleigh has done just that.
The ” unconference ” is a hands-on, problem-solving workshop with a twist. Teams propose and execute ideas in order to compete to win a prize of $5,000.
Part of an international unconference series, CityCamp Raleigh brings citizens, city government and businesses to responsively innovate and increase the quality of life by means of technology.
Jason Hibbets , a project manager at Red Hat, first heard about the CityCamp movement via Twitter.
“The idea of putting on the first CityCamp Raleigh started [on Twitter] shortly after I posted an article exploring how Raleigh could be the open source hub of the world,” Hibbets said.
Open source refers to the Red Hat technology development model but also serves as an outlet for knowledge, creativity, innovation and purpose.
Raleigh isn’t the place that CityCamp can call home.
“Any city around the word can host a CityCamp ,” Hibbets said. “I’ve had the opportunity to attend CityCamps in Colorado, Honolulu and Kansas City.”
Since its inception three years ago, CityCamps have been held in about 20 locations worldwide including Canada, Great Britain and Russia. They also boast Web presence in Argentina and Guatemala and hope to establish CityCamps there in the near future.
As for involvement, participation is open to anyone interested in developing Raleigh’s appeal as a residence and workplace. Passion for Raleigh and the well being of its citizens are key, according to Hibbets .
Most participants can get involved by joining the CityCamp Raleigh Google Group. From there, you can participate in conversations about open government, technology and other topics.
“We have a recent thread about the cities’ open data policy, where CityCampers are providing input to City IT staff,” Hibbets said.
The easiest way to get involved is by coming to the event or joining a planning committee. Those who come to the events arrive with great ideas or come because they want to help. From these volunteers comes an organic marketing ploy. Word of mouth allows CityCamp to reach those who are most interested in their mission.
“This year, we were able to connect with Benjamin Watson, a professor at N.C. State teaching a design graphics lab course,” Hibbets said. “This year’s winning team had students from the DGL course walk away with the $5,000 cash prize.”
As an N.C. State alum, Hibbets said he hopes CityCamp will cultivate more connections like this with both the academic and research communities.
Valuable relationships and partnerships such as these have resulted in sponsorships from Alfresco, Go Triangle, Red Hat, WRAL and Salesforce.com. These sponsorships fund the unconference , provide money for the cash prize awarded to the winning team and support CityCamp Raleigh throughout the year.
This year’s winning team was “R Greenway,” which presented a greenway mobile app that allows users to locate their position on the greenway and how to connect to other trails. Using open data provided by Raleigh’s GeoPortal , the roadmap includes integration with SeeClickFix , weather and other useful pieces that users of the greenway might need.
To Hibbets and his peers, CityCamp Raleigh is more than just an unconference . It’s a catalyst for innovation, knowledge, change and, most importantly, togetherness.
