Have you ever wanted to be part of a global movement that would have direct impact on your community?

Have you ever wanted to come up with a solution to a perceived problem that has social and economic impact in your city?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you should consider participating in #GovJamCLT.

#GovJamCLT will take place this weekend, June 12 -14, in an effort to promote solutions to challenges currently facing Charlotte. The event will take place at The Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. office.

#GovJamCLT is one component of the Global Gov Jam, a movement comprised of 34 different Jams happening this weekend in 27 different countries. The goal is to bring together engaged citizens over the course of two days to brainstorm ways to solve problems within their respective communities.

Details for the event:

• Friday, June 12: 5:45 pm – 9:00 pm
• Saturday, June 13: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Sunday, June 14: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
• $15 Admission  – But, each day that you attend, you get $5 back. So if you come for the entire weekend, it’s free. But if you can’t stay the entire time, that’s entirely ok. The idea is for people to come and go as they might, but the Jam will keep on jamming.

#GovJamCLT is hosted by the Charlotte Hub of the Global Shapers, an initiative of the World Economic Forum with 422 Hubs around the world.

“We intend to apply the concepts and energy of the Global Gov Jam into Charlotte’s local government and public sectors,” said Meghann Gunderman with Charlotte Shapers and the lead coordinator for #GovJamCLT.

The event will give Charlotteans the opportunity to identify issues and collaborate on solutions. The Shapers believe #GovJamCLT will help Charlotte residents begin to make the increasingly important connections needed between government and those the public sector serves.

“The event will encourage innovations, create innovators, and provide an opportunity for various stakeholders throughout the community to collaborate on solutions to the city’s challenges,” Gunderman said.

#GovJamCLT kicked off with a mixer on June 10 at Earl’s Grocery. The attendees included event sponsors, community leaders and those participating in the weekend. This event, in addition to the weekend, was made possible by the support of Knight Foundation, Google and The David Hoffman Group.

There are still spots available if you would like to participate in the #GovJamCLT weekend. You can sign up here.

“[For the weekend] we are specifically looking for a diverse set of people to join,” Gunderman said.

Charlotteans in attendance will represent different viewpoints, backgrounds, ethnicities, race, socioeconomic status, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and life experiences.

“We really want to make sure everyone’s voices are heard and the collaborative work is truly diverse in thought, background as well as ethnicity,” Gunderman said.

Each GovJam will focus on a theme specific to their community and the theme will be announced on Friday at the start of #GovJamCLT. The purpose of the theme being kept a secret until the Jam starts is an effort to ensure a level playing field. Once the theme is announced, the hope is then that participants will organically break off into small groups to discuss the theme/problem and brainstorm innovative solutions. At the conclusion of the weekend, the various ideas and solutions presented will be put on display on an international collaborative platform for all participants, and the world, to see.

The cost is $15 to participate, however, for every day you participate you receive $5 back. If you attend the #GovJamCLT all three days, Friday – Sunday, participants will receive a full refund.

Want to collaborate with other Charlotteans to find possible to solutions to very real problems in our area? Sign up and be part of the solution.