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Evaluating Engagement through Technology: Digital Excellence Demonstration Communities in the Chicago Region


Focus area(s)

Archived Projects

Archived Projects

This project consists of the design and baseline interviews for an evaluation of an innovative project to integrate digital inclusion initiatives into community-building efforts in several low-income Chicago neighborhoods. The Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) is supporting Dr. Karen Mossberger’s evaluation of the Digital Excellence Demonstration Communities Project, including research on the role that technology plays in engaging citizens in their communities. The Digital Excellence Demonstration Communities project is a partnership involving the City of Chicago, MacArthur Foundation, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Microsoft, and the lead agencies of the New Communities Program in Pilsen, Englewood, Auburn Gresham, and Chicago Lawn. Baseline interviews conducted with organizations in these communities will provide a unique case study of the role of technology in civic engagement for neighborhood revitalization, and will provide a foundation for further quantitative and qualitative evaluation.