We’re all trying to understand what it means to code for America where we live. We have web skills and we want to use them, generally to make the world a better place, specifically to improve interfaces to our local governments and the ways in which our communities use the web in civic life. AsRead… Read more »
My mother has worked for the government all of my life. I mean, quite literally, all of my life. I was barely a year old when my mother interviewed to be an Assistant United States Attorney. She got the job and has been working in the city of Newark, New Jersey for more than twentyRead… Read more »
I’ve always been an inquisitive person. I’ve been known to purposely shake things up. I wouldn’t be labeled as someone who follows the status quo. I often purposely put myself into uncomfortable situations to test my instincts and challenge my insecurities. (If we have a chance to meet at the CfA Summit, I can tellRead… Read more »
I caught up with 2011 Fellow Jeremy Canfield to see what’s he’s up to and find out what it was like to wear one of those blue track jackets. He’s what he had to say: In 50 words or less describe your Code for America fellowship experience. Unforgettable. What’s it like taking a year offRead… Read more »
If you ask the average American what they appreciate about technology, I think they’d say that technology generally helps them do things faster, more efficiently, and with better results. Looking at Congress’ latest approval ratings, I have a hard time believing that many Americans would say the same about government. I wanted to help changeRead… Read more »
Meet Jesse Bounds. From Wall Street to 9th Street Jesse has literally climbed mountains (and one glacier) in search of more meaningful work. A search that led him here to 155 9th Street, home to staff and fellows of Code for America. Watch Jesse’s journey: If you want the see and touch and feel theRead… Read more »
“I still remember the moment you told me you’d found Adopt-a-Hydrant on our Github account, Forest. I was so impressed, so excited, and so happy. It was like a dream coming true.” — Jennifer Pahlka to Forest Frizzell (Deputy Director of IT, City and County of Honolulu) “The moment” Jen refers to happened at theRead… Read more »
Code for America fellows work on a wide variety of projects with their city partners, other organizations, community members, and interested civic hackers. The applications that fellows create range from whimsical to serious, and from simply making a point to potentially making a profit. However, in the nascent arena that combines open and transparent data,Read… Read more »
One of the most powerful things about open government data is all of the options it enables. Open data is the single most important ingredient in civic apps, and it can also power visualizations, mashups, and countless other civic uses. The very best open data typically lends itself to several different kinds of uses. WhenRead… Read more »
Veronica Ludwig, Chicago IdeaHack organizer and Brigade leader, reveals her five tips for executing an effective civic hackathon. For the past six years I’ve been organizing fundraisers, networking events, unconferences and hackathons. We started the IdeaHack with the Chicago CfA Fellows for Code Across America. The Chicago IdeaHack is an event that brings together leadersRead… Read more »