Development Goals

Chautauqua, NY, USA | Increase Birth Rate

Location: Chautauqua, NY, USA

Goal: Raise declining birthrate to 3.4 children / couple

Date started: 23rd May 2014

Goal Completion Date: 23 May 2015

Situation Description: One of the great challenges facing any small town is a declining population. As children grow up and seek the excitement and energy of the big city, there is a strong tendency to leave home in search of everything they see on the news and current affairs programs every night.

This results in a large population drop-off and a big hole in the available workforce.

Chautauqua is no exception to this situation.

68% of children born in Chautauqua will leave home for life in the big city. Of those, only 16% will ever return. This is resulting in a steep population drop-off that if unaddressed, could result in the death of our beautiful town.

We cannot stand by and allow this to happen.

Actions: In order to remedy this situation, we have decided to take steps to increase the birth rate and fill the holes in our population.

The steps we will be taking are as follows:

1. Increasing funding for medical facilities by 8.6% over the next 2 years to provide extra hospital beds and gynaecological services. This will form part of the new budget to be delivered later in this year.
2. Hosting speed dating and other social events in the town in an effort to increase social interaction between singles. These events will be overseen by the good people from the Attraction Institute. They’ll be designing, implementing, monitoring, ad facilitating these events to ensure maximum… results
3. Providing a $2000 upfront payment for all new children born to help relieve the financial pressure on new parents. These payments will be available for all parents giving birth after 30th June 2014
4. Increasing childcare places by 14% to make sure we have the support necessary for when the new children arrive. These places will be made available through a strong recruitment campaign of new childcare workers.

Through these 4 steps, we’re confident that we can raise the declining birth rate and save our town.

We’ll report back with results at the conclusion of this program.

Eden, NSW, Australia | Increase computer literacy

Location: Eden, NSW, Australia

Goal: Increase overall computer literacy to 75% with a specific focus on increasing the computer literacy in the over 65 year old category to 50%

Date started: 9th June 2014

Goal Completion Date: 9th June 2015

Situation Description: Like a lot of smaller towns across the globe, Eden is facing a the problem of an ageing population. Whilst this bring many significant challenges, including health services, lack of workforce, and declining population, the ageing citizens themselves also face challenges.

One of the most significant challenges of young adults moving away from their home town and their parents is isolation and loneliness.

With recent studies showing that loneliness is a bigger killer than obesity, we can’t afford to let this situation go without taking positive and swift action.

Actions: To combat the rise of loneliness and isolation in our ageing community, the Eden local community centre is commited to increasing the computer literacy of the 65+ age group to reduce levels of loneliness in the community.

Free training programs will be run twice a week and will be open to all people who wish to connect with more people, not only in their local community, but abroad as well.

The training will focus on computer basics such as keyboard and mouse operation, as well as using basic programs such as email. Once these skills are mastered, more complex skill such as signing up for and using social media, including Facebook and Twitter, and other connection tools such as Skype, will form the main focus of the classes.

More advanced users will then be able to take a short course on how to make a website, run by local man, Charles Wodsworth, who’s written guides on how to make a website and also how to unlock your iPhone. His support in creating detailed instructions on how to build websites has been invaluable and we thank him.

To help us achieve our goal of increased computer literacy in the 65+ age group, the majority of our marketing efforts will be focussed at relevant social events and aged care facilities.

We will report back in regular intervals with details of our progress.

Sydney, NSW, Australia | Reduce Identity Theft

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Goal: Reduce identity theft by 15%
Date started: 6th October 2015
Goal Completion Date: 6th October 2016

Situation Description: Identity theft is an increasing threat to local Sydney-siders. This type of criminal office generates significant profit for thieves and causes considerable financial losses to the Sydney community.

Recent estimates by Australia’s Attorney-General’s Department indicates that $900 million is lost each year by individuals through credit card fraud, identity thefts and scams.

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, in 2014 “Stealing from a dwelling” was one of the few criminal categories that saw an increase over two years. This was found to be mainly attributed to mail theft.

Mailboxes have become a common target for thieves. Most criminals find that breaking into mailboxes relatively simple.

In some cases, criminals have managed to get a master key for an apartment block, giving them easy access to all resident mailboxes

In Sydney, North Sydney and Hornsby saw an increase of 37.5% in offences. Ryde saw an increase in identity theft by 45%.

Research has found that most people did not take even the most basic measures to protect themselves against identity theft. These measures include putting a secure lock on their mailbox, shredding mail, and properly securing important documents in a lockbox within their homes.

The personal details obtained from mail have been used to access mobile phone accounts, bank accounts, health funds, insurance funds and more.

The impact is that many victims don’t fully recover from the implications of identity theft.

Actions: In order to decrease the amount of identity theft there are three areas that we need to focus on. These are community awareness, community education and preventative action.

The steps we will take include:

• Working with print media and television media to raise awareness of the increase of identity theft.
• Creating a social media campaign to raise awareness of identity theft.
• The creation and promotion of online eduction resources to combat against identity theft.
• Work with local councils to create in-house education programs for elderly citizens commonly targeted by identity theft.
• Partnering with local locksmiths in Sydney to ensure the security of letterboxes, apartment blocks, and installation of home safes and locks.
• Provide simple to follow guides for victims to follow if they suspect their identity has been stolen.

With these actions we are confident we will halt the increase of identity theft and start to reduce its impact in Sydney

Dalton, GA, USA | Moving Forward With Community And Technology

Location: Dalton, GA, USA

Goal: Helping local university students prepare for advanced technological communication.

Date Started: July 31, 2015

Goal Completion Date: May 31, 2016

Situation Description: Dalton is a thriving community; we’ve been the carpet capital of the world since the end of WWII and the emergence of new technologies that resounded well with our workforce made this possible.

These new technologies were the reason many of our forefathers survived the Great Depression, and with over 150 carpet factories, we depend on the industry wholeheartedly to survive, especially now. Over 90 percent of the world’s carpets come from Dalton, and we’d like to keep it that way.

But as industries have developed and progressed, and the stock market crash of 2007, our community has weathered the same economic downturn that was responsible for so many collapsing local businesses and neighborhoods. Dalton at one point had an unemployment rate over 11 percent, and even now, the percentage of out-of-work residents is still at 7.4%.

To fix this, we know we have to prepare for a day when our workforce will be replaced with machinery and our residents will be conducting business with computers and phones rather than people to continue our competitive edge. More important than accepting this change is making sure the next generation is ready for it, and that our high educations programs are equipped to utilize the available technologies to further the education of our community’s next leaders.

Action: To educate the student body of the local community colleges and post-high school education centers in advanced communication skills, we will use charity resources to implement higher technological practices within the learning environment and integrate seamlessly the new technology in our classrooms.

These higher technological practices implemented will include:

• Interactive techniques for coursework, including but not limited to, styles that engage and incorporate spatial, aural, and kinesthetic methods.

• Increase in usage of online homework, requiring submission that vary from live blogging, video essays, and virtual study groups or round table discussions that utilize SIP trunking technologies.

• Encourage alternative projects to reinforce skills learned in the classroom, such as documentary style films, usage of modern equipment such as a GoPro, and alternative presentation methods such as Prezi.

• Hire and train support staff to handle advanced technologies in the syllabi.

These advancements in the upper education learning sector will prepare our community for keeping up with the technological age and prepare our city and its leaders to succeed on a global scale.

Sandpoint, ID, USA | Financial Freedom

Location: Sandpoint, Idaho, USA

Goal: Helping local residents reduce the percent of household income devoted to non-essential items

Date Started: 1st September, 2015

Goal Completion Date: 31st August, 2015

Situation Description: Sandpoint, Idaho, is not a rich town. We’re not blessed with a wealth of natural resources or drawcard tourist attractions. We’re just like most small towns. 4.2% of our workers are employed in the hotel industry with the other large industries being community staples – supermarkets, trades, and doctors.

We’re all committed to building our community together but without any large avenues to draw wealth in from other centres, we face the constant struggle to build our economy.

This has contributed to a median household income of only $37,521.

With the local economy struggling, we see it as our responsibility to educate our local residents on how to reduce their monthly expenditure on non-essential items.

This project will help ensure that there’s food on tables, children have the right equipment for school, and out local sporting competitions have all the right equipment.

Action: To  give our residents the education they need to make smart decisions, we’ll be running a series of educational workshops on how to reduce their expenses on non-essential items.

These workshops will focus several areas, including:

• Cooking skills to reduce costs on takeaway foods
• ‘Lifehack’ style classes focussed on simple tips like repurposing everyday waste items, reducing subscription costs through techniques like iPhone unlocking, and making your own clothes from hand-me-downs
• Workshops focussed on simple shopping techniques to save money

These workshops will help our community members reduce their costs and ensure that the rest of the community can thrive.

Flint, MI, USA | Re-develop our abandoned auto plants

Location: Flint, Michigan, USA.

Goal: Start reviving local economy by selling and re-developing the city’s abandoned and defunct automotive factories.

Date Started: January 1, 2015.

Goal Completion Date: December 31, 2017.

Situation Description: It’s no secret that the financial vitality of Flint has been deeply wounded by the past three decades of economic struggle. Once a powerhouse of the automobile assembly industry, especially for Chevrolet and Buick, the city of Flint began to struggle in the 1980’s after General Motors took a hit and had to demolish a number of plants in the area.

This caused a local economic depression as workers were laid off and businesses in the area began to suffer due to lack of consumer spending. In addition, the United States’ economic recession of 2007 delivered yet another brutal blow to the automotive industries of Detroit, MI and the surrounding areas.

Today, Flint is considered one of the most economically depressed cities in the entire United States. The crime rate is high, city revenue is next to nonexistent, and the area as a whole is riddled with abandoned properties that were once flourishing factories that provided jobs to our residents.

Action: We’re pushing to see Flint’s defunct Buick City site renovated, re-developed, and re-opened as either a functioning auto plant or as a historic site. In order for this to happen, we need to find a buyer who can back the sale financially and see what kind of plans they have to turn our old auto plant into a source of income for the city of Flint.

Our first step in this course is to determine the realistic market value of the site. Because the plant still contains a lot of old machinery, we’ll need a plant valuation performed for a fair perspective on what to expect on the market. City council is currently exploring the options for valuation as well as potential repair and re-developing costs. We hope to locate a qualified buyer by summer of 2015, and are tentatively expecting a renovation launch by early 2017.

Buffalo Ridge, SD, USA | Get Our Town on TV

Location: Buffalo Ridge, South Dakota, USA.

Goal: Increase town tourism revenue by at least 30%, by getting Buffalo Ridge featured on a national tourism TV series.

Date Started: December 1, 2014.

Goal Completion Date: December 1, 2015.

Situation Description: Buffalo Ridge, SD is an archetypal American small town whose livelihood relies heavily on money made from tourist attractions. But due to the economic recession over the past years, we’ve seen an alarming decline in tourist revenue.

Buffalo Ridge is home to a pretty unique tourist attraction perfect for anyone who’s enthusiastic about classic Western legends and historic American culture. The 1880 Cowboy Town, built in 1960, is a Wild West themed pocket attraction. What makes it unique is the fact that it is completely automated and populated entirely by robots dressed in period-accurate attire. (Yes, you read that right.)

Our plan is to get the 1880 Cowboy Town featured on a national tourism TV series. Popular shows like the Food Network‘s hit “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”, the Travel Channel’s “Mystery at the Museum”, and National Geographic’s “Forgotten America” delve into interesting attractions and unique locations all across the country. In addition to TV airtime, these shows also stream on Netflix and receive increased viewership (international viewers can learn which VPN is best for Netflix overseas here).

Action: Whenever a town is featured on one of these shows, they consequently experience a dramatic increase in tourist revenue. We think that Buffalo Ridge’s 1880 Cowboy Town is a perfect fit for one of these tourism shows. If we could get our attraction covered on TV, we’d see an increase in the number of visitors coming through this town and therefore an increase in profits for local businesses.

We plan to get the town council pitching this idea to the Travel Channel and other TV networks that run travel-themed shows. We hope to see some forward movement in the next few months, and we’ll certainly be reporting back with any progress made!

Classic Car Festival | Merimbula, Australia

Location: Merimbula, NSW, Australia

Goal: Increase tourism by 22%

Date started: 11th August 2014

Goal Completion Date: 11th August 2015

Situation Description: With all the lights, glamour, and action that large cities provide, it’s getting harder and harder for small towns to attract tourists. Whilst some towns are able to deal with the decreasing levels of tourism through focussing on growth in other primary industries, Merimbula isn’t so lucky.

The towns economy is built around the tourist dollar providing jobs and cashflow for the town.

We aim to fix this.

We’ve already taken on a number of initiatives designed to increase the amount of tourists flocking to our town, including the Jazz Festival and Mal competition, but we need to continue to grow these.

Actions: In order to stop the decline in tourism and draw visitors back to the town, Merimbula is going to hold a classic car festival. The specific actions that will be taken are:

1. Create event plan and secure location
2. Develop marketing plan that utilises the networks of classic car clubs and groups in the local area
3. Identify local businesses who can provide support for the event
4. Establish a ‘classic cars for sale’ area (to be hosted by Prestige Classic Cars)

We will report back as these actions are taken and let you know the progress.

Sibleyport, NE, USA | Web Development Skills For Kids

Location: Sibleyport, NE, USA

Goal: Increase Web Development Skills in Kids aged 10-18

Date started: 21st July 2014

Goal Completion Date: July 2017

Situation Description: In this new economy, we have to equip our children with the skills necessary to succeed. Skills in coding and web development are increasingly in demand as we advance into this digital age.

It is of paramount importance that the youngsters of the next generation not be left behind. It is no secret that coding and design are some of the most sought after skills for any business. It is an asset to anyone, regardless of their chosen field.

These design skills will also empower our youth to be able to start their own businesses, which will help to improve our own local economy. At the end of the day, it is very important that our children and teens go out into the world of work with an asset that will help them to stand out from the crowd.

Promoting the acquisition of computer skills is also important for the retention of our population. If more kids are able to work from home and earn a substantial income, it will reduce the lure of the big cities. Studies have shown that the earlier kids are introduced to coding and design, the more talented they become as they grow older.

They are also more confident in their skills than someone who starts as an adult. It’s similar to learning a language. It’s a lot easier to pick up and become fluent in a language the earlier you are exposed to it.

As a community it is imperative that we do our best to instill the skills in our kids, whether they become the CEO of a new startup or they live a comfortable life working their home office, the possibilities are endless.

Actions: In order to increase awareness about opportunities as well as promote design and coding skills in our youth, we are planning to implement a 3 year program.

• Web Career Day: Similar to a traditional career day, but with speakers working in the internet marketing and web design industry. We will have speakers from Website Brokerage Firm Digital Exits, Team Treehouse, an online school for coding and design, and Bruce Clay Inc, an internet marketing firm.

• Implementation of a fun 1 year beginners coding and design series for all ages. This programme will introduce them to the FUNdamentals of web design and coding. It will teach them all about the history of coding and how to hand code their own simple websites and mobile apps.

• Intermediate Program: All students who complete the beginners course will have the option of proceeding to the intermediate course. This course will introduce more advanced concepts and introduce them to more complex languages such as Ruby and Python.

• The final stage, the Advanced Course will be project based, and guide students along to creating their first website and mobile app which would be fit for commercial release. While other kids are out using Facebook and Pinterest, our kids will be creating their own versions of them.

• Bonus: There will also be a bonus course centered around marketing strategy and branding.

All courses will be taught by industry experts from top internet marketing and design firms. All volunteers have on-the-ground experience, have worked in the industry and are passionate about educating the younger generation
The courses will be 100% free for students and will not be mandatory.