March 1, 2011 is the last chance for local governments to apply for the 2012 Code for America City Program. The competitive program enables forward-thinking cities to solve a critical civic problem with technology and become leaders in the open government movement. Three to five cities selected to participate will partner with talent from the web industry during a year-long fellowship program and receive light-weight, creative technology to help them cut costs, work more efficiently, and engage more with their residents.
Participating governments are partnered with a team of three or five web developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to not only take on the year-long project, but also work as a innovation lab, solving small problems along the way. By recruiting these technologists into its service-year program, Code for America is able to offer governments top-notch, fresh talent at low costs. “The fiscal crisis has required governments to look for new ways to approaching problems,” said Alissa Black, Code for America’s Government Relations Director. “This is a chance for cities to develop new kinds of solutions and work more like the Internet.”
For the inaugural 2011 program, which commenced in January, out of a pool for 13 applicants, four cities were selected to participate: Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Boston. Boston’s Chief Information Officer Bill Oates described his interest in the program, “Boston is very much looking forward to working with Code For America to tackle some hard problems using the approaches of agile development and the latest web-based technologies.”
Competition for the three to five spots in the 2012 program is expected to be even stiffer this year, with over sixty cities expressing interest so far and twenty-five cities and counties already undergoing the application process. Applicant cities must propose a project that demonstrate real cost-savings potential for the city and promotes transparency and public participation. Citizens from towns across America are also getting involved to put pressure on their governments to join the open government movement and taking action to bring the program to their city. Residents from over 100 municipalities have tweeted to put their town on the Code for America map, and dozens have contacted their officials directly, asking their city to code for America.
The deadline for city applications is March 1, 2011. City officials can learn more about the 2012 City Program and begin the application process online: http://codeforamerica.org/cities/apply
Participating governments are partnered with a team of three or five web developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to not only take on the year-long project, but also work as a innovation lab, solving small problems along the way. By recruiting these technologists into its service-year program, Code for America is able to offer governments top-notch, fresh talent at low costs. “The fiscal crisis has required governments to look for new ways to approaching problems,” said Alissa Black, Code for America’s Government Relations Director. “This is a chance for cities to develop new kinds of solutions and work more like the Internet.”
For the inaugural 2011 program, which commenced in January, out of a pool for 13 applicants, four cities were selected to participate: Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Boston. Boston’s Chief Information Officer Bill Oates described his interest in the program, “Boston is very much looking forward to working with Code For America to tackle some hard problems using the approaches of agile development and the latest web-based technologies.”
Competition for the three to five spots in the 2012 program is expected to be even stiffer this year, with over sixty cities expressing interest so far and twenty-five cities and counties already undergoing the application process. Applicant cities must propose a project that demonstrate real cost-savings potential for the city and promotes transparency and public participation. Citizens from towns across America are also getting involved to put pressure on their governments to join the open government movement and taking action to bring the program to their city. Residents from over 100 municipalities have tweeted to put their town on the Code for America map, and dozens have contacted their officials directly, asking their city to code for America.
The deadline for city applications is March 1, 2011. City officials can learn more about the 2012 City Program and begin the application process online: http://codeforamerica.org/cities/apply
About Code for America
Code for America (CfA) connects the talent of the tech industry with local governments to make cities more open, responsive, and efficient. CfA recruits civic-minded, tech-savvy individuals to work with industry and governmental leaders to develop innovative applications that can be used in cities across the country. http://codeforamerica.org/
Contact Information
For any additional information please contact Alissa Black: [email protected]
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