How local communities share information and build trust is essential to pluralism, democracy, and economic mobility. And while we see important mediums like newspapers and libraries dying, online forums like Facebook Groups and Nextdoor have stepped in to fill the void. In fact, half of US adults say they get their local news from these sources, even more than newspapers. Unfortunately, many of these groups are toxic, negative, and hard to navigate.

Here at New_ Public, we have done a lot of research in the last year about what it requires to support healthy digital spaces for local communities; and it turns out that thoughtful, skilled, and appreciated “community stewards” are a key component. These stewards are often unsung heroes in their communities. They’re volunteers managing online neighborhood groups, newsletters, and boards. And we’ve has developed a number of insights about what it requires to care for these stewards and their online communities to fuel connections and social trust on- and offline.

A lot of our work now is scaling what they’ve learned to other communities through a platform that can serve as a new vital American institution; a transformative space for local conversation and community that invests in people, practices, and platforms — not just tech.

As a part of our presentation, we would spend the time speaking to this research and our insights, along with ways that we can make the internet local again; bringing people's attention to the places we are, inspiring a deeper sense of belonging, and ultimately creating healthy spaces online that help people thrive.