Kaitlyn Levinson

Maryland

Assistant Editor at Route Fifty

Assistant Editor for @routefifty | Covering public health & more | [email protected] | rt ≠ endorsement

Articles

How a ‘mundane’ start to digital transformations can help cities leverage AI

2 days ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

One Georgia suburb is on a mission to demonstrate that tech advancements don’t just happen in major hubs like Silicon Valley. In northeast Georgia, about 20 miles north of Atlanta, the Sandy Springs community has launched a citywide digital transformation project to enhance city operations and services.
How student-run security centers can help state and local governments find cyber talent

4 days ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

Across the U.S., there are thousands of cybersecurity jobs that remain empty, as the risk of cyber threats to state and local communities continues to grow. But it can be hard for the public sector to attract and retain the cyber talent they need to protect critical infrastructure and systems, as the perks of the private sector — like higher wages and quicker hiring times — draw job candidates away.
AI task force to help guide the tech’s use in criminal justice

1 week ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

The use of artificial intelligence is emerging in a range of public services, from permitting to traffic management. The tech has also made it to some court systems across the U.S. as a tool to sift through evidence, draft reports and aid other tasks to reduce workloads.
How one Ohio county uses tech to help residents navigate the benefits cliff

1 week ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

In northeast Ohio, Summit County has turned to a software solution to help ease the transition for people who become ineligible for public benefits programs. The county — about 34 miles south of the city Cleveland — is the fourth largest metro area in the state, with a population of nearly 540,000 people. In 2022, 76,084 people were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and about 108,500 people were enrolled in Medicaid.
AI can help increase language inclusivity for governments, but risks remain

1 week ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

Language accessibility remains a priority for many communities across the U.S., and artificial intelligence is emerging as one tool to help expand access to government resources and services for non-English speakers. About 22% of Americans — or more than 1 in 5 people — reported speaking a language other than English from 2017 to 2021, according to data released earlier this month from the .
Rural cities get a helping hand for tech workforce and economic development

2 weeks ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

An initiative from IT outsourcing company Provalus is looking to realize the potential of rural America’s untapped tech workforce and opportunities for economic development. Under a public-private partnership model, the effort works with state and local governments and other private organizations to support the launch of business centers, where residents can receive technical training and start IT jobs with the company’s clients.
New data dashboard aims to help police, policymakers tackle crime

2 weeks ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

A new dashboard looks to offer law enforcement agencies and government officials a near real-time view of local and regional crime trends to help them address the problem more efficiently.
Inside Illinois’ journey to build a centralized platform for child welfare services

2 weeks ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

Policymakers across the nation have become increasingly concerned about a youth mental health crisis, as the proportion of children and adolescents experiencing anxiety and depression has climbed in recent years. Data from the National Survey of Children's Health released in April showed that, in 2016, 7.1% of young people reported having anxiety, which increased to 10.6% in 2022.
As food insecurity creeps up, data helps food banks cater to those in need

3 weeks ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

As part of the federal government’s recent funding cutbacks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ended a program that helped food banks provide communities with food from local farms and farmers. In March, the agency canceled $420 million in funds for the pandemic-era Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which allows states to purchase and distribute domestically produced food and beverages to organizations like food banks.
How one Virginia county takes an ‘intentional’ and ‘intergenerational’ approach to AI

3 weeks ago | route-fifty.com | Kaitlyn Levinson

As social service agencies experience increasing workload demands with limited budgets and staff capacity, artificial intelligence is emerging as one solution to help employees get more done in less time.