Durban Answers | Write-a-thon
On 3 June, we hosted the first Durban Answers Write-a-thon at the Green Door. As we’ve mentioned in previous blogs, the write-a-thon has a dual purpose as a crowd-sourcing exercise for generating content for Durban Answers and getting people comfortable with the idea of being an active citizen. Here’s what went down:
We asked people to show up around 9/9:30 AM for a 10 AM start. With coffee and doughnuts readily available, we spent the first few minutes with each attendee getting them oriented, and getting them up to speed on how the write-a-thon would go. As some of you may know, through our #AskDurban campaign, we collected just under 200 questions from Durbanites. These questions were the focus of this write-a-thon. We put all of the questions up on the wall, numbered from 1 to about 160, each question with its own numbered sticky note. As the crowd trickled in, we asked participants to browse the question wall and choose a question they felt they could find the answer to. If after attempting to answer the question and concluding that they couldn’t answer it, then they’d put the sticky note back. If they successfully answered the question, they could proudly slap their sticky note on the counter wall, and choose another from the question wall. We had a real-time counter-notifying us each time someone submitted a question. We all became familiar with the confirming sound each time someone successfully answered a question. Our goal was 100 answered questions, and we wrapped up the day with 108. Sweet satisfaction. Well done Durban.
Now, we definitely plan on not just doing more write-a-thons, but actually scaling this model. This first one was very much a “prototype event”, if you will, a “user-test.” We learned some extremely valuable lessons, and are adopting these learnings into the next, more robust round of write-a-thons. Notice I said “round of write-a-thons”…let me explain. We’ve gotten a lot of interest in Durban Answers and the write-a-thons from a few different groups of people. We want to make sure we cater to and leverage the particular questions and knowledge that different groups have based on their realities and experiences. We feel that by targeting specific groups to curate their questions and knowledge, we will provide spaces to generate both breadth and depth in content. So, for example, we are really keen to host #AskDurban campaigns and a write-a-thon series on local university campuses. Students have a very particular reality and very particular experiences, with their day to day interactions with peers and space being largely oriented around campus life, classes, and trying to figure out where their future is heading. How can they find out about internships in architecture to see how their technical drawing class will be applied when they get their first job? How can they find families in need of after school child care to make a bit of extra money?
The purpose of targeting universities plays a larger role in targeting youth. Young people in Durban are the drivers of the Future Durban. Empowering young people on campuses to not only be a knowledge source but to also ask questions of their city is a critical path to retaining young people to craft the Future Durban. Understanding that not all young people have the opportunity to go to university, our university-focused campaigns are not the only youth-driven campaign we will pursue. We see all young people as change agents, driven by a desire to see a future city that they are proud of, that they feel connected to, and that holds spaces for all people of all backgrounds. The university focus is just targeting one group of young people with a particular experience.
We’re busy ideating how these next rounds of write-a-thons will go, but we’re already thinking that there will be some sort of competition, and potentially some pretty sweet prizes. BUT! We really need young people to champion these initiatives on their campus and are in need of university peer-leaders to help us roll this out on their campus. We want to co-create the #AskDurban and write-a-thon on your campus. If you are a leader of a student organisation, a leader amongst your peers, or just interested in how this sounds, we want to know you. Send us your details here (university email so we know you are a student!) to get in touch, or tweet to us at @durban_answers to let us know you’re interested. We’ll be seeing you soon!
- Sophie
Sophie McManus is ODD Inclusive Cities Fellow
Originally published at Open Data Durban.
