SLC-S29/W2-“Thinking and Ideas!| Simple Solutions to Big Problems!”

The Problem: The Crisis of Urban Isolation and the Loss of Practical Wisdom

In an era that has seen unprecedented levels of connectivity, ironically, there is a growing phenomenon of disconnection.

Sociologists often describe this phenomenon as the “loss of the third place,” which refers to a loss of community spaces that do not belong to home or work. Such loneliness gives rise to the following primary issues: first, it sparks an eerie mental health crisis characterized by deep loneliness, especially in elderly and young adults; second, it eliminates valuable knowledge that has been built over several generations. Look at the numerous retirees among us with great skill sets such as carpentry, sewing, gardening, budgeting, among others.
These retirees have valuable skill sets waiting to be maximally utilized. On the other hand, the younger generation lacks basic living skills: how to cook the simplest meal, how to drive a car efficiently among others. They would rather learn by random videos on YouTube channels than approach.

The Solution: The Community Skill Share Board
"The solution is simple and reminiscent of the bulletin boards of the last century, but this approach is designed to foster interactions."

The Concept:
Every community creates a Community Skill-Share Board within a lively "third place"—such as the main entrance to a community center, the lobby of a library, or in a park.

How it Works:
The Physical Infrastructure: Up goes the weather-proof glass-encased wooden board. No need for electricity or Wi-Fi!

The Token System: Residents take part by using color-coded index cards contained in a box attached to the notice board.

Green Cards(The Give): "I can teach/help with." (e.g., hemming pants, simple car maintenance, speaking Spanish, propagation of plants).

Red Cards (The Ask): "I wish to learn." (e.g., how to change a tire, how to bake bread, basic guitar). The Currency: There is no money involved. The currency is time. There is no need to negotiate with the individual who is helping you. The method is the 'pay it forward' principle.

"The Live Element": The "Saturday Session" timetable is part of this live element, meaning that instead of private meetings in an office or at a business, people meet at the park benches located at the board, every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This setting will be a lively outdoor classroom where a retired mechanic can teach three teenagers how to check the oil in a car, or a youth can teach an elderly how to use a smartphone.

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Who Would Benefit Most From This Solution?

The beauty of the system is that both parties benefit, and the biggest winners will be the following two categories:

The Elderly and Retirees: Many in this bracket usually feel like they are not needed in society having retired from active jobs. The Skill Share Board assists them in moving from "dependents" to "experts" in society. They find a need to go out and not just meet people their own age.

Young Adults and New Residents: Young people seeking a new place or influenced by the digital revolution face a problem, as they tend to not be skilled or connected to the community. However, this program will provide them with an opportunity to acquire knowledge, as well as integrate them quickly and naturally with the community.

Pixabay

Though simple, Skill-Share Board faces some challenges as follows:

Safety and Trust: The main issue here is the "stranger danger" aspect. People within a low trust community might not want to associate themselves with a stranger.

Mitigation: That’s exactly the reason "Saturday Session" is important because we eliminate risks of safety concerns by assuring sharing of skills in a public area during the daylight hours.

Vandalism and Maintenance: The physical aspect may be subject to damaging situations or graffiti. It may also be cluttered or look out of date if not maintained correctly.

Mitigation: A rotating title of "Board Captain" would be responsible for this volunteer effort of clearing out expired cards each week and wiping down the glass.
Vandalism and Maintenance

Talking about a physical board, we have to consider that there is a danger of vandalization. Also, such a board might become crowded and outdated.

Mitigation: A rotating "Board Captain," a volunteer position, would take care of removing expired cards from the glass on a weekly basis.

The "Cold Start" Problem: Recruiting the initial ten people to begin creating cards is your biggest problem. Without sufficient participation, it is an unused box.

Mitigation: To kick things off, this initiative could provide a launching event, perhaps a potluck, where the initial cards could actually be created and put up collectively.

Conclusion

So the Community Skill Share Board resists the temptation of creating one. By not involving technology, we avoid the screen that commonly gets in the way of true interactions.
It approaches the issue of loneliness not as a disease but as a way of providing connections. All we have to do is connect people with knowledge and those who need knowledge with simple technology that only requires paper, pens, and a parkbench.

I invite @peacemike @okereblessing and @bossj23