National Day of Civic Hacking Challenges

[mateoclarke]

Be a part of a nation-wide project to improve governments services

Code for America has prepared 10 Challenges for National Day of Civic Hacking that we'd love help on. These challenges are related to getting a better idea of what digital government services are like and how they differ across the country. After National Day, we'll package everything together into a single document that tells the story of digital government services in America.

More info on the national challenges can be found here.

Many of these challenges require little to no programming experience.

1. Applying for Food Stamps

Help collect information about how applying for food stamps differs throughout the US.

To get started, search Google for “ food stamps”. Food stamps are provided by County human service agencies, sometimes called social service agencies or welfare departments.

Then go here for next steps.

2. Applying for Affordable Housing

Help collect information about how applying for affordable housing differs throughout the US.

To get started, search Google for “ affordable housing”.

Use your local affordable housing website to complete any of the activities listed here.

3. Applying for your Criminal Record

People have a right to their criminal record, but it's not always easy to get. Let's fix this.

To get started, search Google for “ criminal record”. These records are usually controlled by county court houses.

Use your local courthouse website to complete any of these activities. These tasks will require your awesome user experience, research, and design skills.

4. Applying for Victim Compensation

The last thing people need after being a victim of a crime is a big complex process to get the help they need. Let's see how we can make this easier.

To get started, search Google for “ victim compensation”. Victim compensation is usually provided by county district attorney's offices. Use your local victim compensation website to complete any of these activities.

These tasks will require your awesome user experience, research, and design skills.

5. Applying for a Business License

Starting a business means new jobs and better neighborhoods. Let's see how hard it is to do that.

To get started, search Google for "Applying for a business license in ". Use your local business application website to complete any of the following activities. Then go here and choose one of the three activities.

6. Data Visualization for Obama Administration's Promise Zones

For this year’s National Day of Civic Hacking, we’re asking civic technologists to create data visualizations that tell the story of Promise Zones and economic development in other cities. To learn more about Promise Zones, you can visit the White House fact sheet here. The first 5 Promise Zones were announced in 2014, 8 more were announced in 2015, and the final 7 will be announced this year. Promise Zones will be even stronger with your help to visualize and understand data on their communities to make their work more effective at creating better lives for local residents.

More info and submission details here

7. #DataAtWork Workforce Data Initiative

For this year's National Day of Civic Hacking, we're challenging volunteers to use the Workforce API to help build products and prototypes that aid in workforce training and development. New applications built on open data have revolutionized other industries, and creating interoperability in the workforce industry could transform the way citizens make employment and training decisions. Today, the industry built on opening weather data is estimated at $10 billion and the industry built upon GPS data is estimated at $90 billion. Workforce training and development is already a $140 billion industry, even without an interoperable data architecture.

Imagine an application for a 27-year-old community college dropout living in Milwaukee to enter current job, location, and the wage they'd like to be making. The app could then return results for related careers that make the desired salary; what skills this new career would require; what training is available near their location to attain those skills; and which of those trainings have provided the best results for their participants.

For more information, visit http://www.dataatwork.org/ & the [challenge page]((https://www.codeforamerica.org/events/national-day-2016/challenge-dataatwork-workforce-data-initiative).

8. Combating Zika and Future Threats

Join USAID and OpenIDEO on a global community effort to tackle the Zika virus and future health threats with human-centered design.

As part of the Combating Zika and Future Threats Grand Challenge for Development, USAID is calling on the global community to develop bold and actionable ideas to fight the Zika virus today and cutting-edge technologies and approaches that will better prepare the world to fight the global health threats of tomorrow. To support this Challenge, USAID has partnered with OpenIDEO to launch an open innovation platform that draws upon talent, inspiration and solutions from around the world to address these pressing issues. Our aim with this platform is to use the power of the crowd to inform, inspire and guide creative solutions that are deeply grounded in what communities want and need.

More info on the challenge page and on the OpenIDEO page.

9. Open Foreign Assistance

ForeignAssistance.gov shows taxpayers how 1% of their tax dollars are being spent. We know this information is relevant not just to those in Washington, DC working in government, but to communities around the globe. It can be used to tell a story in one country, or it can be used for a global comparative view. It can be used to draw conclusions on U.S. foreign policy and trends. What are those comparisons or trends? You tell us!

We challenge you to show us how you can use our data. Why is this relevant to you? Can it be mashed with other datasets to tell a story? Can it be combined with datasets to identify gaps in foreign assistance coverage? Can it be used in your classrooms? We encourage you to use the foreignassistance.gov API in answering these questions and write to us with feedback at [email protected].

More info here, and submit final projects here

10. Ready to Work En Español

For this year's National Day of Civic Hacking, we're challenging volunteers to build products and prototypes that help connect Spanish speaking job seekers to training that will teach them skills to get jobs. We'll then share these results with the US Department of Labor. In regions around the country, there are many schools, colleges, and training programs that provide career technical education in Spanish, teach English as a Second Language (ESL), and/or contextualize vocational training along with ESL. There is currently no easy way to find these programs, particularly for people who don’t speak English. This challenge would compile lists of these resources and allow easy access via smart phones for non-English speakers to find programs. This database could be enhanced with user and employer feedback about the efficacy of the classes. These data could transform the way non-English speakers find and have access to skill building programs that will increase their employability.

More info & Submit your work.

[kevinwheeler]

I don't see a Slack channel for this yet, but I want to throw it out there before I forget that I know someone who is very knowledgable/will have very useful information about criminal records and the (long!) list of organizations that are exempt when you try to seal your records. Also - how to get your records sealed for real.

[mateoclarke]

Hey @kevinwheeler, there is a channel now: #ndoch-challenges