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Sourcing Create Projects

Finding meaningful projects and challenges is crucial for a successful 4D cycle. This guide will help you identify impactful opportunities for redemptive technology in your community.

Table of Contents​

  1. Hosting Ideation Sessions
  2. Identifying Local Needs
  3. Partnering with Non-Profits and Churches
  4. Engaging Local Schools and Universities
  5. Analyzing Existing Technology Use

Hosting Ideation Sessions​

  • Invite your community to brainstorming workshops and hear what breaks their hears for their communities. You could also invite tech professionals and local leaders to these sessions.
  • Develop a system to evaluate and prioritize the generated ideas based on redemptive technology impact.

Exercise: Plan and facilitate an ideation session, documenting all ideas and creating a shortlist of potential projects.

Identifying Local Needs​

  • Organize small groups to walk through different areas of your community, observing and noting technological challenges or opportunities that affect marginalized communities.
  • Attend local government meetings where you can discover community issues that could benefit from technological solutions.

Exercise: Create a "Community Needs Map" highlighting areas where technology could address local challenges.

Partnering with Non-Profits and Churches​

  • Reach out to local non-profits who may have technological needs but lack resources to address them.
  • Connect with churches who often have insights into community needs and may have their own technological challenges.
  • Attend charity events to learn about ongoing projects that need technical support.

Exercise: Develop a "Partnership Matrix" listing potential non-profit and church partners, their needs, and potential project ideas.

Engaging Local Schools and Universities​

  • Consider partnering with computer science departments including those at Christian institutions who may have ongoing projects or research that benefit from community collaboration.
  • Reach out to student groups at universities who sometimes have tech-for-good or social entrepreneurship clubs that might be interested in collaboration.
  • Propose a mentorship program where your group mentors students on redemptive technology design through building projects.

Exercise: Develop a proposal for a collaborative project or mentorship program with a local educational institution.

Analyzing Existing Technology Use​

  • Conduct a technology audit: Assess how technology is currently used in your community and identify areas for improvement.
  • Look for tech disparities: Identify groups or areas in your community that may be underserved by current technology.
  • Consider emerging technologies: Brainstorm how new technologies (e.g., AI, IoT, blockchain) could be applied redemptively in your community.

Exercise: Create a "Technology Landscape Map" for your community, highlighting current uses, gaps, and opportunities for redemptive technology projects.

Reflection Questions​

  • How do the project ideas we've sourced align with our understanding of redemptive technology?
  • How can we ensure that the projects we choose will have a lasting, positive impact on our community?
  • How might we work on projects that promote human flourishing and relationships?

By thoroughly exploring these avenues for sourcing projects and challenges, you'll be well-equipped to identify meaningful opportunities. Remember to continually refer back to the principles of redemptive technology as you evaluate potential projects, ensuring that your efforts will truly serve to advance love and glorify God.