Attention developers, designers and hackers: Have you ever complained about the lack of tech savvy in local government and civic institutions? Well, here’s your chance to help.
A new group called Code for BTV — the local arm of Code for America — is launching an effort to bridge the gap between tech enthusiasts and the people who run our cities, towns and nonprofits. This weekend, June 1 and 2, they’re hosting a civic hackathon at Burlington’s Maglianero Café.
Writer Ginger Vieira previewed the event in this week’s Seven Days:
“Civic hacking,” explains Amy Kirschner, founder of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility Marketplace, “is a way for people to get involved in government and their communities using technology.”
The idea is simple: Citizens work together with their local, state and federal governments, as well as with private-sector organizations, to solve problems. More than 5000 people — some professional coders, some techy dabblers, some hacking virgins — are expected to participate throughout the country in the first-ever National Day of Civic Hacking this weekend.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 4, 2013.
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