Change by Us Philly engages local community

Change by Us Philly, a new social interactive media tool launched by the city of Philadelphia three weeks ago, will allow social activists the opportunity to become more engaged with the local community.

“It’s basically a Facebook-like tool for civic ideas, activists and projects,” said Jeff Friedman, the manager of Civic Innovation & Participation at the Office of Mayor Michael Nutter. “It’s built specifically for people trying to advance projects in the public space.”

The site has two main features. The first is a board of virtual sticky notes where people can write down ideas for ways to better the city. The second part allows users to create or join projects to improve the community.

Designated Response Leaders monitor the site and look for projects that “are relevant and interesting to particular organizations … and connect them with resources that can make the project happen,” said Claire Robertson-Kraft, a Ph.D student at Penn’s Graduate School of Education and a Response Leader for Change by Us.

As a board chair for Young Involved Philadelphians, Robertson-Kraft sorts through the projects “to see if there are any projects that are aligned with what YIP is doing.”

She recently found a “project organizing greater Center City parents to advocate for school change,” which is one of YIP’s priorities. She then contacted the woman and discussed ways in which YIP could support her project.

Robertson-Kraft, also a 2004 College graduate, said an easy way for students to get involved is “by contributing ideas and thoughts” on the post-it board of ways to improve the community. Additionally, organizations on campus that already exist “could post about what they’re doing and get people to sign up that way … and get other people involved,” she said. Penn students could use the site to get more people in the city aware of their projects, she added.

Since the hard launch of the website on Nov. 21, there have been 286 users, 42 projects, 331 ideas and 59 resources, according to Friedman. The website is “looking to increase the participation of people using the tools on a week by week basis … not really looking for 10,000 people to sign up in one full swoop,” Friedman said.

“It’s trying to help people connect with resources and information and intellectual capital that exist in or outside of government that’s kind of already there,” Friedman said. “It’s really meant to foster that kind of connectivity between individuals, institutions, outside of government so that you get things done easier.”

Philadelphia is the second city in the nation to have this type of website. Change by Us New York launched in July.

“My hope for the site would be that it provides those people with a venue to share interesting ideas and projects, and that these response leaders and foundations really are able to provide them with the resources they need to put those ideas into action,” Robertson-Kraft said.

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