The Cultural Affairs Department at Miami Dade College was awarded a $2 million grant by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation on Aug. 5.
It will be used to implement Salesforce, software that allows companies to track consumer behavior patterns and sales data. Cultural Affairs will use the software to monitor the community’s interactions with Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival, Museum of Art and Design, Koubek Center and Live Arts Miami.
The four-year grant will also be used to incorporate artificial intelligence such as a chatbot—software that mimics human conversations to help customers find information—into the department’s websites.
“This grant is a testament to the belief that the College is forward-thinking and that we will continue to innovate and always improve without compromising community access [to information], because that’s really our DNA.” said María Carla Chicuén, executive director of cultural affairs.
The Knight Foundation, a long-time partner of MDC, is a non-profit organization founded in 1950 that provides grants for journalism, communities and the arts.
