Long Beach Co-Lab

The LB Co-Lab will engage Long Beach community members in an immersive and collaborative technology deployment and training process to design a technology solution that works for them.

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Long Beach, CA

As the digital revolution challenges old ways of doing business, Long Beach residents have told us that they lack pathways to implement their ideas AND feel ill-prepared for the emerging "smart" economy. The Long Beach Collaboratory (LB Co-Lab) addresses these gaps. The LB Co-Lab will engage Long Beach community members in an immersive and collaborative technology deployment and training process to design a technology solution that works for them. Deploy technology: LB Co-Lab participants will identify neighborhood needs in a series of collaborative brainstorming sessions, and then design an accessible technology solution to address an agreed-upon "challenge." The technology implemented through this program will ensure the City invests in technology enhancements based on community-identified needs. Example solutions include digital kiosks, charging stations, public wi-fi stations, interactive cultural augmented reality exhibits, and many more. Train: While designing and deploying technology infrastructure solutions in their neighborhoods, LB Co-Lab participants will also be taught professional skills in technology. They will receive career guidance for navigating the tech world and earn a credentialed technology certificate to support their professional development goals.