Month: September 2013

GovJob: Director of Technology Communications for Cook County

Smart Chicago

328px-Seal_of_Cook_County,_Illinois.svgHere at Smart Chicago, we regularly work with units of government on a wide range of matters. We collaborate with City Departments on websites that increase collaboration with residents, with the Mayor’s Office on policy and implementation of technology efforts, and with the State of Illinois on expanding the open data movement.

In the context of this work, and in my role as  co-chair of the New Media Council for  Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, I see first-hand the immense opportunity that we have in this region to improve lives through technology and data.

But I also see that there is a lack of supply for the jobs inside government that are essential for this work to continue.

For instance, here’s a great job at Cook County, working directly for CIO Lydia Murray in the Office of the President. Lots of people ask me in my work about ways they can get involved in the fecund civic innovation here in the Chicago region. Here’s one, right here.

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS

Requisition ID:  00114960

Job Posting:  Sep 12, 2013, 9:12:00 AM   Closing Date:  Sep 26, 2013, 11:59:00 PM

Full-time  Shift Start Time:  8:30 A.M.   Shift End Time:  4:30 P.M.

Posting Salary:  $90,000-$105,000

Organization:  Offices Under the President

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Join Smart Chicago at the Broadband Communities Economic Development Conference in Chicago

Smart Chicago

Smart Chicago is pleased to be a sponsor of The Economic Impact of Advanced Broadband Networks Conference on Community Fiber Networks in Tinley Park, IL on November  5 – 7, 2013.

The Economic Impact of Advanced Broadband Networks Conference on Community Fiber Networks in Tinley Park, IL on November 5 - 7, 2013.

The conference is part of a series developed by Broadband Communities Magazine, a leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. They are a welcome voice in the community broadband realm, documenting and amplifying the growing work of dozens of projects across the country.

Topics and themes include:

  • DEVELOPING broadband strategies for the knowledge economy
  • WORKING with economic development agencies
  • DEVISING innovative financing methods
  • DEPLOYING broadband to help foster vibrant communities
  • OBTAINING government incentives and support
  • BUILDING advanced broadband systems
  • SHAPING regional strategies and solutions
  • DIFFERENTIATING your community with advanced broadband
  • COMPETING and cooperating in a high-bandwidth world
  • CREATING jobs and attracting businesses with broadband networks

General admission is $185 for the conference. Smart Chicago has a limited number of free passes to this event on a first-come, first-served basis.

Go here to register.

Select the first radio button “General Admission:” at the top of the list.  An area to “Enter Discount Code” box will appear – enter your this code:   SmartChicago.

Please only register if you are certain you can make it to this conference in Tinley Park, IL on November  5 – 7, 2013. Let us know at [email protected] if you decide to register and use a code.

Girls Do Hack – An all girls hackathon at the Adler Planetarium

Christopher Whitaker
Youth Hackathon at Adler Planetarium #hackforchange

This summer, the Adler also hosted a youth hackathon as part of National Day of Civic Hacking

On November 9th, the Adler Planetarium will be hosting an all girls hackathon for young women who are considering STEM careers called Girls Do Hack. This is the third hackathon in a series of hackathons that are being hosted by the Adler. Previous hackathons have included the Youth Civic Hack Day and Science Hack Day.

Participants will be divided in teams of four and paired with two mentors and will have the opportunity to explore a variety of things that can be done with a career in science and technology. These will include everything from hunting for exo-planets to mobile phone hacking.

High school students can register for the hackathon at the Adler’s website.  Registration is free, but space is limited. Additionally, the Adler is looking for mentors to help the teams. If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, you can register here.

You can follow this event on Twitter and learn more about the Adler by following them on Twitter @adlerskywatch.

Growing our own talent

Christopher Whitaker
Englewood Codes

Englewood Codes Demo Day

In recent months, we’ve highlighted several efforts to teach young people how to code and about technology. These efforts have included Englewood Codes, Civic Summer, and Adler Planetarium’s Youth Hackathon. Smart Chicago is proud to have supported these efforts and looks forward to supporting more STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) programs like these in the future.

It’s vital that Chicago grows its own talent. According to the US Department of Labor, STEM jobs are projected to grow 17% over the next decade.

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