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In honor of Digital Inclusion Week, a nationwide event to share efforts in local communities to promote digital inclusion and equity, Louisville Metro Government is highlighting efforts to expand access to the internet, technology devices and digital literacy training.
Digital Inclusion Week is celebrated nationwide to share efforts in local communities that promote digital inclusion and equity. Metro agencies will join with community partners in hosting events throughout the city, including two low-cost internet signup opportunities, the Verizon Innovative Initiative launch, free computer trainings, a digital inclusion workshop, a door-to-door outreach, and a computer donation drive.
“Internet access and literacy are essential for citizens to reach their full potential — to apply for jobs, to do their work and school assignments, complete entire college degree programs and more,” Mayor Greg Fischer said.
“The commitment of our city to expand digital inclusion shows in the efforts of our Office for Civic Innovation, our work to bring Google Fiber and to launch it in Portland and Newburg, and our collaborations with civic hackers to use technology to help citizens.”
Grace Simrall, the city’s Chief of Civic Innovation and Technology, added: “Our goal during Digital Inclusion Week is to highlight our city’s Digital Inclusion Strategy and the resources, knowledge and expertise that address the challenges we face.”
About 29 percent of Louisville households do not have a wired internet connection at home, and about 19 percent do not have a laptop or desktop at home, according to a 2016 American Community Survey data.
Learn more about Louisville Metro’s Digital Inclusion Plan
Louisville Digital Inclusion Week events
- Monday, Oct 8 – Launch of Digital Inclusion Week on social media. Join the conversation on social media by using #DIW2018 or “#Digital4AllLou” to call attention to the importance of digital inclusion.
- Tuesday, Oct. 9 – Verizon Innovative Learning Initiative launch. Mayor Fischer joins with JCPS to announce Verizon’s $5.1 million investment in technology, which will provide free tablets and data plans to students and teachers at five JCPS middle schools. Located at Newburg Middle School, 4901 Exeter Ave., 10:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 10 –
- Free Internet Basics training at Jeffersontown and Iroquois libraries, Microsoft Word 2 at the Main Library, andExcel (2016) Formulas & Functions 2 at the South Central Regional Library. All Louisville Free Public Library locations provide free computer and internet access, along with computer training classes, open to the public throughout the year. See full schedule.
- Low-cost internet outreach and sign-up event at the Main Library, 301 York St., 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Learn about and receive help signing up for low-cost internet plans in our community for qualifying households. Read more for eligibility.
- Thursday, Oct. 11 –
- Digital Inclusion Workshop at Neighborhood Place Annual Day, a day of training and team-building for more than 300 social services staff attendees. Held at the Crowne Plaza, 830 Phillips Lane, 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
- Grow with Google train the trainer event for existing partners to build capacity to offer digital trainings to clients they serve.
- Friday, Oct. 12 – Door-to-door outreach in the Russell neighborhood as part of the city’s Building Our Blocks to inform residents about low-cost broadband options.
- Saturday, Oct. 13 –
- Laptop Donation Drive at Bon Air Library, 2816 Del Rio Place, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. to collect donations of used laptops (with power cords) which can be refurbished and distributed to residents in need.
- Low cost internet outreach and sign-up event for qualifying households at the Bon Air Library, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Read morefor eligibility.
To learn more about Digital Inclusion Week and Louisville Metro’s Digital Inclusion Strategy, visit http://digitalinclusion.louisvilleky.gov/
September 20th Test Will Appear as an Actual Emergency Message
Many of us are used to the required weekly and monthly test alerts that periodically interrupt broadcast radio and television programming with those jarring tones. Do not be alarmed when a similar system test is conducted one week from today, although on a much larger scale, coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
On September 20, 2018, FEMA and FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, known as IPAWS.
Although this test will interrupt radio and television programming like the regular Emergency Alert System (EAS) tests, the messages will be delivered to broadcasters through next-generation alerting infrastructure rather than over the airwaves. Because this exercise make use of that new alerting technology, the alert will also trigger notifications on Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) compatible cell phones.
The widespread national test is intended to help both alert providers as well as recipients ensure that the system functions normally from end to end so that important information can be received in a timely fashion in the event of an actual emergency.
The WEA portion of the test commences at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT.
The WEA test message will be sent to cell phones that are connected to wireless providers participating in WEA. This is the fourth EAS nationwide test and the first national WEA test. Previous EAS national tests were conducted in September 2011, 2016 and 2017 in collaboration with the FCC, broadcasters, and emergency management officials in recognition of FEMA’s National Preparedness Month.
“The tests that you usually hear are typically a part of the over-the-air broadcast EAS and NOAA Weather Radio systems,” a representative of alerting equipment manufacturer, Gorman-Redlich, told Louisville Dispatch. “Those tests tend to be for a relatively small geographic area and affect only broadcast outlets. This time, the test targets a nationwide audience, with alerts being sent to all broadcasters at once by internet and satellite signals and to individual cell phones by their carriers.”
The message heard on radios and televisions during this nationwide test will be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar and will include a reference to the WEA test: Continue reading
The Center for Digital Government released its national rankings today for city government websites, placing Louisvilleky.gov first in the Center’s Government Experience Awards.
The awards “recognize the achievements and best practices of states, cities and counties that have gone to the web and beyond to radically improve the experience of government and push the boundaries of how citizen services are delivered,” according to the center.
“State and local governments are responding to citizen wants and needs with increasingly sophisticated online experiences,” said Dustin Haisler, chief innovation officer for the Center for Digital Government. “This year’s Government Experience Awards winners have well-designed websites and innovative channels that provide citizens meaningful information and services, robust data integration and an exceptional user experience.”
Mayor Fischer’s work to improve citizen interaction and transparency is part of his strategic plan to “…annually expand our digital offerings and presence as well as increasing transparency, availability and usability of information and data.” You can see the Mayor’s entire strategic plan here: https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/mayors_office/pdf_files/strategicplanjuly2018.pdf
“This award is a testament to the tremendous work our team has done to improve digital access to services and information for all of our citizens,” Mayor Fischer said. “I encourage everyone to visit Louisvilleky.gov when they need get things done or learn about our city service offerings.”
Louisvilleky.gov was just recently updated to improve the smart phone experience and to highlight the most popular services more prominently on the city’s homepage. Some of those services include:
- MyLousville: Map Services by Address: https://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/mylouisville
- City Services Lookup: http://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/services
- City Events Calendar: http://louisvilleky.gov/events
- City News: http://louisvilleky.gov/news
- Online Maps: http://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/maps
- Report an issue: http://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/report
- Open Data Portal: https://data.louisvilleky.gov
- Map Crime: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/police/services/crime-maps
- Permits & Licensing Search: http://portal.louisvilleky.gov/codesandregs/mainsearch
- Get a Permit: http://louisvilleky.gov/government/get-permit
- Get a License: http://louisvilleky.gov/government/get-license
A popular feature is live chat with Metro311, located on every page of our site. The Metro311 team sends constant chat feedback to the web content team, ensuring that our site content is always up-to-date.
In addition to Louisvilleky.gov, Louisville Metro is working to offer services in other innovative ways. We’re a partner with IFTTT (https://ifttt.com/), a web and mobile platform that allows visitors to customize their digital experience with such tools as Twitter, Google, and Amazon Echo. And the city is beginning to offer services through the new digital kiosks being installed in and around downtown.
All that helped Louisville rank first among the 2018 government experience award winners in the city category. The full list follows:
2018 GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE AWARD WINNERS
Overall City Government Experience Winners:
- City of Louisville, KY
- City of Los Angeles, CA
- City of Tuscaloosa, AL
- City of San Diego, CA
- City of Baton Rouge, LA
- City and County of Denver, CO
Credit: Louisville Metro Police
Representatives from the Louisville Metro Council’s Minority Caucus as well as Louisville Metro Police and Jefferson County Public Schools will participate in an event to demonstrate a new tool that has been purchased to help deter speeding and promote safety. A total of nine new SpeedAlert web-enabled radar display devices will be announced and demonstrated. Representatives from Louisville Metro Police as well as Jefferson County Schools will also use this event as an opportunity to remind citizens of the importance of observing proper safety precautions, especially when driving near a school.
When: 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 13
Who: Louisville Metro Councilmembers, Louisville Metro Police Department and Jefferson County Public Schools
Where: Bowen Elementary School, 1601 Roosevelt Avenue (Off LaGrange Road)
Additional Information: a SpeedAlert web-enabled radar display will be located in the front parking lot of Bowen Elementary. A Second SpeedAlert radar device will be located onsite for those persons wishing to get video of the machine in operation.
For additional information related to this release or the nine members of the Louisville Metro Council’s Minority Caucus, contact Chris Lewis at 574-1118 or chris.lewis@louisvilleky.gov.
Code Louisville, which provides training to help people quickly enter the technology field, has helped more than 250 people start or advance their careers in technology, Mayor Greg Fischer announced.“It is critical for our economy and our community’s future to have as many people as possible gaining the skills to embrace the technologies of today and tomorrow,” Mayor Fischer said. “So, it’s exciting that a homegrown initiative like Code Louisville has become a national model for developing tech talent – and our goal is to take that to an even higher level.”
There have been 821 graduates of the 12-week training course, ranging in age from 18 to 71. Graduates have landed jobs at more than 150 local companies, with an average starting salary of about $48,000.
The free training has been a game-changer for many participants, including Tina Maddox, who was a stay-at-home mom when she started Code Louisville. Now, she is a Junior DevOps Engineer at Louisville-based El Toro Internet Marketing.
“I wouldn’t have the job I have today without this training, it’s changed my life,” Maddox said. “It was very hard work but I’m proof that it absolutely can be done, even without any type of tech background.”
Maddox is one of 12 Code Louisville graduates hired by El Toro, helping the company keep pace with its recent growth of more than 12,000 percent.
“This program has been great for Louisville and for El Toro,” said Stacy Griggs, president & CEO of El Toro. “As we have scaled from a half dozen employees to over 100 team members in the last four years, it’s been vitally important to have a strong pipeline of software development talent. Code Louisville has been an important factor in increasing the amount of tech talent available in Louisville.”
Other local companies that have hired multiple graduates include Appris, GE Appliances, Humana, Interapt, QSR Automations and Zirmed.
Code Louisville is designed specifically to help people prepare for software development jobs. During the online training provided through Treehouse, participants are supported by volunteer mentors, many of whom are themselves Code Louisville graduates. The program has had more than 130 mentors involved.
“This training is truly changing lives while also providing a quick pipeline of fresh talent that is helping meet the evolving demands of our existing employers and also companies that are eyeing Louisville for relocation or expansion,” said Michael Gritton, executive director of KentuckianaWorks which operates Code Louisville. “The diversity of participants is amazing: people of all ages and backgrounds, with GEDs to Ph.Ds, and from plumber assistants to math teachers and professionals from other countries.”
The program launched with federal funding in 2014, but interest and participation exploded in April 2015 when President Barack Obama visited and cited Code Louisville as a model for the national TechHire initiative, which had just started.
As a testament to the program’s need and popularity, there are currently more than 1,000 people on a waiting list. Admission is prioritized for those in greatest need, including individuals who are unemployed, from lower income families and veterans.
Code Louisville is funded through a Workforce Innovation Fund grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The program is based just west of the city’s NuLu neighborhood. More information is available at codelouisville.org.
It’s time to celebrate emojis – those cute, sometimes annoying little images included in text messages, tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram pics, and everywhere else in today’s connect world.
World Emoji Day is celebrated on July 17, a date chosen because it is the date shown on the “calendar” emoji on most systems, including Apple iPhones and iPads, Android phones, Google services, Mozilla-based browsers, and EmojiOne. It is worth mentioning, however, that some holdouts like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp aren’t on board with the July 17 emoji, opting to show a different date or a generic calendar page.
Growing out of old-school internet “emoticons” crafted from punctuation such as the :-) smile and ;-) wink, what we now know as emoji originated on mobile phones in Japan around 1999, before becoming increasingly popular worldwide nearly a decade later after being added to several major mobile operating systems. Emoji are now considered to be a large part of popular culture – in fact, in 2015, Oxford Dictionaries named the Face with Tears of Joy emoji the “‘Word’ of the Year.”
The minuscule pictograms are so popular that they even gave rise to the 2017 film, “The Emoji Movie,” featuring the voices of T. J. Miller, Anna Faris, Rob Riggle, Jennifer Coolidge, Christina Aguilera, Sofía Vergara, Patrick Stewart, and other big name stars.
The World Emoji Day website gives some background on the celebration and gives a few ideas of how you can mark the occasion, including tips on throwing an emoji-themed party.
So go ahead: text, tweet, and post your favorite emoji to everyone you know today using the hashtag #WorldEmojiDay. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite in the World Emoji Awards.
SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, the world’s largest showcase of skilled trades, returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center June 25-29. The event brings with it an estimated economic impact of $18 million to Louisville.
More than 16,000 middle-school, high-school and college students; teachers; education leaders; and representatives from national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions participate in the event.
The conference highlight is the annual SkillsUSA Championships. During the competition, top career and technical students participate in more than 100 hands-on contests, representing a wide range of technical, skilled, service and health occupations, including:
- Architectural drafting
- Welding
- Carpentry
- Firefighting
- Cosmetology
- Plumbing
- Culinary arts
- Aviation maintenance technology
- Crime scene investigation
- Electrical construction wiring
- Masonry
- Digital cinema production
- Practical nursing
- Sheet metal
In addition to competing, 600 Skills USA students will complete community service projects in the greater Louisville community. Projects range from framing houses for Habitat for Humanity to helping clean up local parks.
SkillsUSA Championships is free and open to the public Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is $8 per car, $20 for a bus.
The mission of SkillsUSA is to ensure a skilled workforce by preparing students for success in their chosen technical, service and health fields. Founded in 1965, the organization has served 12.5 million members, and more than 335,000 advisors and students participate each year.
For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org.