National Day of Civic Hacking – September 18, 2022, history, quotes
National Day of Civic Hacking happens on September 18 this year. It’s a nationwide day of action created by the Code for America Brigades, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Secondmuse in collaboration with various federal agencies.
Thousands of people across the country on this day use their skills for good, and volunteer to carry out a number of challenges that leverage creativity, technology, design, and innovation to strengthen communities. Use this day to join developers, designers, government employees, data scientists, journalists, and your fellow citizens at a special event in your city.
History of National Day of Civic Hacking
In the ever changing world of technology, it can be hard for some communities or individuals in need to keep up with the fast pace. But there are those out there who have the skills and knowledge to help others who don’t. And this is their day!
A day created for people to use their hacking skills for the common good for the neighborhoods, communities and the world, National Day of Civic Hacking was first celebrated in 2013.
National Day of Civic Hacking was created in collaboration with US federal government agencies, as well as the United States Small Business Administration, the Code for America Brigade Network and SecondMuse. It’s a nationwide sanctioned day that brings the positive side of technology to the limelight.
NATIONAL DAY OF CIVIC HACKING ACTIVITIES
Attend a civic hacking event
Browse online for the many scheduled events in your area. Thousands of people are joining today, and hundreds of events have been planned so far. Make sure to buy tickets if necessary – to ensure your spot in the biggest hackathon on the planet!
Learn how to code
Read a book, join a workshop, and engage with like-minded coders to brush up on skills necessary for you to thrive and give your best on National Civic Day of Hacking
Use #Hackforchange on social media
Find what people are doing on this day, in real-time by using the #Hackforchange on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, while at your civic hacking event, please share photos and videos to encourage and inspire others to do the same and partake in the national holiday.
WHY KNOWING ABOUT CIVIC HACKING IS IMPORTANT
It is a day to #hackforchange
When citizens and government work together on National Day of Civic Hacking, communities directly benefit. These benefits include things like technological advances in their food options, environmental quality and criminal justice system.
Collaboration
In a world plagued with problems, the problem-solvers rise to the occasion. Every year, teams will work together to think creatively and use open data to tackle challenges the country faces. On June 4, more than 100 events take place simultaneously across the United States, each with a unique mission. With everyone working together, the possibilities are limitless!
It is data-driven
Engaging the public in using data to solve problems is a novel idea. Civic technologists can draw on data from federal, state, and local sources to co-create solutions geared toward expanding opportunity for all. National Day of Civic Hacking is a perfect day for local citizens to develop innovative ways to improve the discoverability, accessibility and usability of data.
How to Celebrate National Day of Civic Hacking
Get involved with and celebrate the National Day of Civic Hacking with some of these ideas:
Join a Civic Hacking Event
One of the best ways to celebrate the National Day of Civic Hacking is to find an event taking place in the local area and join in. The Code for America Brigade Network offers opportunities to put technology to work in order to help the local community.
Some of the themes for events and projects might include creating a human-centered approach to emergency response services, helping people get their criminal records cleared after years on their best behavior, or getting involved with making voting feel like a safe and secure process.
Join a Code for America Local Brigade
With Brigades in at least 35 states plus Washington DC, it’s easy to get involved with a group. Find out more on each city’s website or join them online for a Meetup to learn more about how to get involved and use those technology skills and civic hacking to make the world a better place. Check out the Code for America website to find a nearby Brigade in the US.
Don’t have a local chapter of the Code for America Brigade? Gather a few friends and consider starting one as a project in celebration of National Day for Civic Hacking
Learn More and Spread the Word
Those who are connected within the technology community are always working to keep up with the current trends of this fast-paced industry. Those who are involved might want to use this time to not only learn a little bit more, but also consider ways that they can use their technology friend network to do some good in the world.
Use the National Day of Civic Hacking as motivation to gather with some other tech-savvy friends and let them know more about the day. Then, think of some projects that would be helpful to others, collaborate on solutions and get something positive done!
