Social Creatures Inc

SOCIAL CREATURES BRIDGES SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ADVOCACY TO ENSURE THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL CAN CONNECT WITH OTHERS, NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES DURING COVID-19 AND BEYOND, THROUGH THE CREATION AND MOBILIZATION OF EQUITABLE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE. WE ACHIEVE THIS VIA OUR DIGITAL SAFETY NETS INITIATIVE, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS DESIGN LAB, AND THE CREATURE TIMES--OUR SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND ADVOCACY ONLINE JOURNAL. THE DIGITAL SAFETY NETS INITIATIVE IS BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE FACED BY LOW-INCOME AND OTHER HISTORICALLY-EXCLUDED COMMUNITIES E.G., DISABLED, CHRONICALLY ILL, ELDERLY FACING SOCIAL DISCONNECTEDNESS THROUGHOUT COVID-19 AND BEYOND. THIS IS ACHIEVED VIA FUNDRAISING FOR MONETARY AND IN-KIND DONATIONS TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY DEVICES LAPTOPS, TABLETS, HOT SPOTS, AND INTERNET COVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR HOME. TO THIS END, THE DIGITAL SAFETY NETS INITIATIVE HAS SUCCESSFULLY RAISED $13,157 AND DONATED 949 DEVICES TO INDIVIDUALS IN NEED. OUR SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS DESIGN LAB GOES BEYOND PROVIDING HARDWARE AND INTERNET SOLUTIONS BY INNOVATING AND DEPLOYING SCIENCE-BASED SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY PROGRAMMING, TO PROMOTE FEELINGS OF SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS WITH OTHERS. OUR INAUGURAL DESIGN LAB PROGRAM, SITNESS, VIRTUAL GROUP SEATED FITNESS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE PEER SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, HEALTH, AND WELLNESS AMONG WHEELCHAIR USERS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED MOBILITY. SITNESS HAS PROVIDED OVER 60 CLASSES TO 100 PARTICIPANTS. 94 OF SURVEYED SITNESS PARTICIPANTS REPORT THAT THE PROGRAM HAS IMPROVED THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PAST YEAR, AND 78 OF PARTICIPANTS REPORT THAT THEY PARTICIPATE IN SITNESS FOR THE WORKOUT AND THE SOCIALIZATION. OUR SECOND DESIGN LAB PROGRAM IS OUR GENERATIONAL YOUTH MENTORSHIP GYM PROGRAM, A TEEN TUTORING/MENTORING PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME ELEMENTARY-AGE STUDENTS, TO PROMOTE PEER-TO-PEER SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT. THE PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY PILOTING WITH 25 STUDENT-MENTOR PEERS. FINALLY, VIA THE CREATURE TIMES, WE HAVE PUBLISHED 22 FREE SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND ADVOCACY ARTICLES. THE CREATURE TIMES IS A SCIENCE COMMUNICATION ONLINE JOURNAL USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF SOCIAL CONNECTION AND SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF AN EQUITABLE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE.