Hack Hub
Thousands of children and youth in Baltimore live with blight, a concentration of vacant, abandoned, dilapidated, underutilized or misutilized properties in their community. A blighted Baltimore is a bleeding Baltimore. It follows that a large number of Baltimore's victims of violence are youth (14-25) living in blighted neighborhoods. Beyond the increased risk of experiencing violence, there is an increased risk of toxic exposure, limited access to healthy food, and few if, any recreation options available for children and youth in blighted neighborhoods.
To address this need FBB is launching the HACK HUB, a youth centered idea curation and startup space. The space will provide access to training on how to take a bright idea and turn it into a prototype, on how to start a business as well as provide access to Wi-Fi, 3D printers, programmable robots and the creative collisions that occur when innovators work in close quarters.
Since its launch in 2018, the Hack Hub has:
Acted as a Youth Works Site
The Youth workers did a great job testing the app. They identified three software defects. They completed a blight survey of Harlem Park and submitted over 50 service requests to 311.
YOUTHWORKS COHORT
Hosted an Intern from NCAT
As the FBB intern, Aja Dixon received training on creating competent space in the community, civic advocacy, and engagement and entrepreneurship development. The training was achieved through completing a study guide, workshops, case studies as well as an assignment completion. She was assigned various tasks such as infographic development, blight research, and social media management.
Hosted the Black Robot Project
The Blk Robot Project is building SoulBot 1.0, a 25-foot tall African robot sculpture made from found materials and scrap metal, to be installed in Baltimore's Upton Community for three years. The stationary sculpture, equipped with functional lights, solar panels, and a wind turbine, will serve as a community memory device featuring a shield designed by residents. The construction and operation of SoulBot will provide experiential learning opportunities and involve local artists and community members in various aspects of the project.
A word on Fight Blight Bmore’s Youth Innovation and Incubation Space from Jason Harris, Founder of the BlkRobot Project
The importance of space- #theHackHub sits at the edge of the Upton and Harlem Park communities in West Baltimore, providing a safe space for community-based educational opportunities. As an independent operator of a 21st century STEAM program (the BlkRobot Project/SoulBot Saturday Design Squad), space is always the first question to answer because working on robotics, computer hardware, or foundational skill set building requires a location. The Hack Hub is equipped with classroom equipment such as a smart board, WiFi and modular tables so that I can shape the classroom to fit what I need at the moment. Most recently, I did a workshop for a family where I instructed two young boys to upgrade their mother’s computer. While I provided this instruction, I also had my robotics class families pass through to pick up robotics kits for their youth. The location in the community and the space itself made this type of multitasking a breeze. Nneka Nnamdi’s leadership in providing this type of space for community is to be commended and, hopefully, replicated throughout Baltimore and beyond.
Data Blacktivist Project
The Data Blacktivist Project, conducted over four weeks in July and August 2022, engaged youth interns aged 18-25 In Old West Baltimore communities as Data Activists. These interns were tasked with collecting data on blighted properties using Fight Blight Bmore's (FBB) mobile application. The goal of the project was to create blight maps for each neighborhood as a beta test of the App.
