The Information Systems meet CUltural COmpetencies (IS-CUCO) project is an NSF-funded project aiming to integrate cultural, linguistic, data, and infrastructure factors into Information Systems that provide access to food-security services such as food pantries.
Motivation
The United States Department of Agriculture reported that in 2020 more than 34 million residents struggled to secure enough food to sustain an active and healthy lifestyle. Underrepresented communities, such as Hispanics in urban areas, make limited use of Information Systems (IS) when making decisions to access resources such as food.
The project focuses on developing IS to increase their use by Hispanics and other underserved populations. The project members are from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) located in communities with large Hispanic populations City Tech – New York City, CSDH-Los Angeles, NEIU-Chicago, and UTEP-El Paso. IS-CUCO builds research capacity and trains the next generation of professionals who develop more inclusive IS.
