Dive Brief:
- The data gathered by smart cities to streamline resources and improve services can also improve school districts, strengthening cooperation with their surrounding communities, according to EdTech: Focus on K-12.
- Chicago and New York City are among those demonstrating these benefits, with the former's Array of Things project that collects data from sensors placed around the city allowing officials to analyze wind patterns and reconfigure operations to benefit students with asthma, while the latter's public transportation data is improving the efficiency of student drop-offs and pick-ups.
- Such data has also improved community partnerships, with Nashville improving student literacy by examining which after-school programs were most effective, and the Fresno Unified School District in California using city data to focus its budget on services students need most.
Dive Insight:
As districts face ongoing budget pressures, the amount of data being gathered by smart cities can help them make the most of the funding they have. Understanding the needs of the community at large can help them target specific services with additional funds; traffic data can help optimize bus routes, and so on.
But it's also worth noting that the data now gathered by many cities can become a curriculum opportunity. Providing students with real-world data to analyze from their own cities can give them better insight, for example, into how math works in the real world, or how governments or other organizations use the data they collect to influence decision-making.
It's a win-win situation for all involved, as the improvements districts can make via that data can also improve their city's standings in a number of metrics, such as attracting new citizens, companies and investment.
