National Day of Civic Hacking

Generally, the term “hacking” has negative connotations and makes people feel a bit uncomfortable. But the National Day of Civic Hacking doesn’t need to make anyone feel uncomfortable – because it’s all about doing good with the power of technology.

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.

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!