Chalkboard Project/DemocracyLab create gateway for citizen input
Contact:
Colin Fogarty
Chalkboard Project
503.841.0045
cfogarty@pyramidcom.com
Mark Frischmuth
DemocracyLab
503.780.7829
mark@democracylab.org
Grant will build open source forum for K-12 policy
PORTLAND, OR - July 21, 2008 – DemocracyLab and the Chalkboard Project have entered into an agreement to take the concepts behind open source software into a new realm: Oregon K-12 education. DemocracyLab is building a new on-line tool for civic engagement that will create a gateway for Oregonians to weigh in on how to solve problems and find consensus on K-12 education issues. The goal is simple: harness the ideas and energy of Oregonians to make Oregon's K-12 public schools among the nation's best.
Here’s how the forum will work: The Chalkboard Project will provide ideas for improving K-12 education. DemocracyLab will test the ideas among users of the website. The site encourages visitors to rate and comment on these concepts. Ordinary citizens can contribute their own ideas about how to improve education in Oregon. DemocracyLab will then analyze and report on the findings.
According to Chalkboard’s Sue Hildick: “The DemocracyLab tool will provide another avenue for civic engagement so that Oregonians can say how they would make Oregon schools among the nations best at student achievement. The Chalkboard Project is sending a clear message to Oregonians: we want to hear from you!”
This week, several thousand open source experts and enthusiast will descend on Portland for the O’Reilly OSCON 2008 Open Source Convention. The event is a nod to Portland’s role as a hub for all things open source. DemocracyLab will attend the conference in part to promote the new partnership with the Chalkboard Project.
Mark Frischmuth, Board Chairman of DemocracyLab said, “Today’s technology makes it possible to have a more robust and productive civic conversation than ever before. That’s exactly what DemocracyLab is all about.”
A 2007 survey by Davis, Hibbitts, & Midghall Inc. found that 65 percent of Oregonians said they would be likely to use an on-line forum like this if they felt their input would affect state and local policies.
About DemocracyLab
DemocracyLab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded with the goal of creating a virtual community dedicated to improving the democratic process and producing collaborative solutions to public policy problems. DemocracyLab was founded in the summer of 2006, and has developed with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers and the support of Oregon State University's Open Source Lab (OSL). To learn more about DemocracyLab, visit www.democracylab.org.
About Chalkboard Project
Launched in early 2004, Chalkboard Project exists to inspire Oregonians to do what it takes to make the state’s K-12 public schools among the nation’s best, while strengthening our school system’s financial accountability to taxpayers. Chalkboard aims to help create a more informed and engaged public who understand and address the tough choices and trade-offs required to build strong schools, and to enable statewide programs that can be applied at the local level to improve school quality, accountability, and funding. To date, Chalkboard has connected with about 100,000 Oregonians, asking for their best ideas to strengthen the state’s K-12 public schools. It also has partnered with other education organizations to create the Open Books Web site (www.openbooksproject.org) to track school district spending.
Chalkboard – an initiative of Foundations For A Better Oregon – is sponsored by a growing list of independent Oregon foundations. The foundations providing major support are: The Collins Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, Jeld-Wen Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and The Oregon Community Foundation. For more information about Chalkboard and to learn how to get involved, call (877) YOUR-K12 or visit www.chalkboardproject.org.
