It might be a bit tougher to engage residents and stakeholders now and in the coming months as we are in various stages of social distancing. Well, actually it might be tough anyway if you only relied on public meetings at City Hall to engage your residents. Whether you have a specific project, initiative or simply want to connect, here are 25 ideas that can be done outdoors or online.
- Bring out the Boards. Place large boards in open air, public spaces such as parks and trails to allow people to browse the topic and write their input on the subject. The one caveat would be that people would have to use their own writing devices or you would have to have a slew of “golf pencils” or something of that nature so that you could have optimal sanitation.
- Sidewalk Chalk Art. Have lots of chalk and sidewalk or parking lot space where people can draw, write notes, or check their favorite drawing. Another twist is for people to draw on their own driveways and post the picture to a designated social media platform (with a hashtag of course).
- Penny for Your Thoughts. Set up jars or interesting containers if you’re asking people to vote on 2+ options. People can drop in their own pennies or use a few that you provide. If there is heavy voting, perhaps you can donate to a fundraiser or organization.
- Painting the Town. We are nearing construction season, so if there is a sidewalk, street, wall/building that is slated to be ripped out or torn down, use the opportunity for people to write comments or draw art before its destruction.
- Ding Dong Door Hangers. Hang door hanger surveys, notes, or words of encouragement in small areas or neighborhoods to start a conversation — you can always bring the conversation online.
- The Giving Tree. Instead of taking from the tree, add to it! If there is a tree in a park that can be used to hang colorful pieces of paper or unique ornaments of some kind, think about how residents might write notes or hang ornaments based on preferences. If you want to make it extra pretty, light up the tree with white lights or spotlight.
- Sneak it In. Drive-in movies are making a comeback. Sure people are there to watch a movie, but you can sneak in a fun game in the previews or interesting giveaway to each car to get people involved in initiatives.
- Living Scrapbook. People love to share memories or pictures. Create an online scrapbook of something in your community that people hold dear or pinpoints in your community. OR ask people to submit pictures of what they would like their future park or whatever space to include in the future.
- Life’s an Adventure. Every community has fun and unique spaces. Think about creating a scavenger hunt or geocaching with QR codes at each stop to tell a story, create an input point, or introduce new areas to residents or visitors.
- Field of Dreams. Is there an empty lot or large grassy area in front of City Hall that could be used to “plant” ideas or dreams? Ask residents to write ideas or dreams on plastic/paper flowers or flags and stick into the ground.
- Go Live. Use Facebook Live to talk about a specific topic and get immediate feedback in the comments. Just make sure that you have a moderator that can keep an eye on the comments.
- Social Surveys. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms have built-in surveys. They are quick, easy, and serve up immediate results that people can react to. Make them fun or make them serious, they are an easy way to get feedback.
- I Scream, You Scream. We all scream for ice cream! If you can get your hands on an ice cream truck, consider cruising different neighbors for a week serving up treats and getting feedback on initiatives that are relevant to specific neighborhoods or the community.
- Creative Cruisin’. Set up art fixtures, information kiosks, or other interesting pieces along a roadway or trail to get people talking.
- Let’s Eat! Who doesn’t love to dish over a delicious dish? Consider creating a community recipe book (virtually). You can determine the type of recipes you would like to include, ask for videos, pictures, and comments on residents’ favorite dishes.
- Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner. Do you have competitive groups in your community or organization? Why not craft an online game where you are getting groups of people or teams to compete for bragging rights. Since we have been sports starved for a few months, it is a great way to fill the void.
- I Love a Parade. Parades have become a big deal over the past few months as it was the only way to celebrate things like birthdays or show appreciation. Let’s not lose the magic of a parade. Even the simplest parade can be fun and educational.
- Stuck on You. Mail out fun stickers or clings to post in windows to support efforts or projects. Or ask residents to take pictures with their clings and post to social media.
- Color My World. Post coloring sheets that residents can download and color to celebrate special days or weeks. Hold a contest for the best creative work.
- Artist at Large. How about creating art out of recycled materials or something found outside? Ask artists-in-training to post pictures of their art and the message behind it. Or, make a walking art show along a trail or sidewalk.
- We’ve Got Spirit. Challenge neighborhoods or businesses to show their spirit through decorating lawns, signs, or windows with their favorite local sports teams.
- I-Spy Fun. Create a bingo card of all the great things in your community like friendly public works staff, little free libraries, food drives, an act of kindness. Participants “spy” those things, take photos, and fill their card up for a prize.
- Community Victory Garden. Identify a plot of land where volunteers can plant fruits and veggies that will ultimately be donated to a food drive or food shelters. Use the time to talk about community issues.
- Table Talk. Partner with local restaurants that are doing take out and ask if they will include a small deck of cards with Table Talk topics relevant to community issues. Include a link on each card to online resources to learn more.
- Down Right Digital. If you haven’t already demoed or purchased engagement platforms, take some time to check them out. Bang the Table, mySidewalk, LiveStories, Socrata, ClearGov, OpenGov, Social Pinpoint, and many more offer a completely digital way to engage and delineate input data.
Some of these ideas can be mixed and matched to create a new twist on engagement depending on how you want to interact and/or as health and safety standards permit. If nothing else, these concepts may spark conversation in your organization on how to maximize engagement in these unique times. Has your organization experienced success with outdoor or online engagement during Covid-19 or other times? We would love to hear from you!