Collaboration Labs
Each month, the Office of Community Engagement invites the public to come together to co-create solutions to community-identified issues. Community members, business leaders, elected officials, students and others are invited to participate in the discussion. The event is held at The Wedge in downtown Alton, IL and is free and open to the public.
June 2025: Digital Access in Alton
Focused on bridging the digital divide, this Lab examined broadband coverage gaps, recent infrastructure investments, and barriers to connectivity, while exploring actionable steps like digital literacy training, public Wi-Fi expansion, and low-cost broadband partnerships.
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uly 2025: Putting Ourselves on the Map: Data, Bias, and the Stories We Tell
Co-hosted with the Dr. Meg Smith, interim director of the SIUE IRIS Center, this session examined how data influences representation and public memory, introduced digital storytelling as a tool for reclaiming narratives, and invited participants to contribute their own stories to a collaborative Metro East community map.
August 2025: Making Public Safety Data Work for Communities
Dr. Dennis Mares of SIUE’s Center for Crime Science and Violence Prevention shared how his team developed practical, no-cost tools—from public dashboards to internal analytics—that make public safety data more accessible, transparent, and useful for communities and local agencies.
