Community and Family Resources: Virtual Be More Awards

The Challenge:

Each year, the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network hosts the annual Be More Awards to recognize the efforts of outstanding community volunteers. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomington Volunteer Network Coordinator Lucy Schaich has continually adapted the Be More Awards to ensure safety for award recipients and viewers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two Be More Awards were facilitated online. After two years of experimenting with virtual options, Lucy and her intern Gonzalo Cruz Cortes from the IU Luddy School of Informatics wanted to find an option that would provide a hybrid experience that was more interactive.

“An engaging Be More Awards for 2022 needed to be more than a video or Zoom call. Something hybrid to accommodate different folks and provide an immersive experience for those who couldn’t attend in-person.” - Lucy Schaich, Coordinator, Bloomington Volunteer Network

The Idea:

Inspired by the virtual walkthroughs frequently used in the real estate industry, and with Gonzalo’s interest in 3D modeling; the idea for a hybrid art gallery with both in-person and virtual components was conceived. The pair decided to try using  Matterport software - the same software used by real estate professionals to show homes virtually. The physical space of the art gallery where “portraits” of the award recipients were hung was scanned and converted into a 3-D model. From the safety of their computers, virtual viewers can tour the space and interact with virtual embedded text, video, and audio about the recipients and their contributions. For those viewing the exhibit in-person, they can access the same text, video, and audio by scanning a QR code on the portrait. The digital and physical data collection occurred over a 2 week period which included testing Matterport.  

You can see the virtual art gallery for yourself here: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=xH83gihSxAq

“This was an opportunity for us to address challenges and adapt to new pressures. We wanted to avoid having to cancel an in-person event due to safety concerns, or have a fully-online event with a fraction of the attendance and lower engagement.” - Lucy Schaich, Coordinator, Bloomington Volunteer Network

The Costs:

There is no cost associated with the Matterport tool or any of the digital media added to each of the portraits. In addition to the time spent by Lucy and Gonzalo, the only additional cost associated with the effort was for printing award placards to accompany the portraits used in the physical gallery space.

The Benefits

One benefit of this innovation is its exploration of using an existing technology that had not previously been applied in local government. The ingenuity of its application inspires and invites us to consider what other existing technology might be applied to City programs and services! Additionally, knowing that this software is available for future hybrid events ensures that important events like the Be More Awards can persist regardless of the direction of the COVID-19 or any other future pandemics. 

Metadata

Department(s): City of Bloomington Volunteer Network

Department Point(s) of Contact: Lucy Schaich, Beverly Calendar Anderson

Partner(s): Gonzalo Cruz Cortes

Partner Point(s) of Contact: 

Type of Innovation: Digital Tool

Date Implemented: May 2022