WORCESTER—The community doesn’t often get an invite to a charrette. In fact, few probably even know what a charrette is. Let’s clear that up first. A charrette is “a meeting in which all stakeholders in a project attempt to resolve conflicts and map solutions.”
In this case, it’s a “digital equity charrette,” taking place on Thursday, Jan. 25, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., at JMAC, 20 Franklin St., Worcester, to which the community is invited to join in on a conversation about internet availability and affordability, device access, and digital literacy and skills. Input from the meeting will help the city build plans and solutions for bridging the digital divide.
The charrette is the first of three facilitated by the Central Mass. Regional Planning Commission in partnership with the city, and is funded by the Mass. Broadband Institute.
“The process for the project involves data collection and research of current conditions, public outreach and engagement, workshops, analysis, and then results in a report which will include strategic recommendations for future policy and/or policy or program implementation,” Ethan Melad, associate regional services planner for CMRP, told the Worcester Guardian. By completing this planning process, the city also positions itself well for future funding.”
So what’s it for? Who’s it for?
The purpose of the gathering is to engage residents of Worcester, particularly those who have experienced issues or inequalities in the digital space. This could include a lack of infrastructure to support services, inability to afford products or services, lack of knowledge or training about device usage, or many other things.
“Hopefully, we’ll see a diverse group of people in attendance at the events,” said Melad. “Information and feedback that we get from these workshops will inform our report, and be used to identify digital equity gaps, challenges, and potential routes for future policy, programming, or services. Through our discussions, we also hope to bring more awareness and information to the people of Worcester and bring these issues to their attention.”
Contact Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
