Code for America will hold its sixth annual “CodeAcross” event, which this year is being called Open Data Day, to coincide with International Open Data Day.  It’s a weekend of civic hacking events hosted by over 100 cities of the Code for America network around the world.  The goal is to activate the Code for America network and inspire residents everywhere to get actively involved in their community.

This year the city of Louisville is cosponsoring the event.  It will be held in the brand new LouieLab space, and will have a focus on public safety.  Expect new open data and event projects around police, EMS, fire, and the community.

Who should get involved? Urbanists, civic hackers, government staff, developers, designers, community organizers, and anyone with the passion to make their city better.

PROJECTS:

We are pre-planning a number of projects for this year’s event, identifying resources and laying the groundwork in advance.  You can align yourself with one of these projects , or come with your own ideas. Actually, we encourage everyone to bring ideas of what they’d like to see built!

Under development.  

See last year’s projects and a recap!

SKILLS: 

Projects might include any of the following skills, so you can always be a help: 

Research (web/email/phone), idea focus, data entry, modifying existing code, using 3rd party online services, graphic design, user experience (UX), documentation, presentation creation, mapping, and/or data analysis!

SCHEDULE:

9am – Breakfast, introductions and overview, project tracks review

10am – Break into self-organized groups to work on projects

12pm – Lunch on site

1pm – Continue working on ideas, finish prototype

4pm – Present projects, successes, roadblocks, next steps, hacking end, head off to dinner and drinks with your new friends.

WHAT TO BRING:

Your laptop, power cables, software, smart phones, chargers, monitors, mice, ideas and self.

HOW TO PREPARE:

The event is meant to be a technical programming, app building, hacking experience.  We will be working together to build actual apps during the event.

If you are non-technical, we still need your help.  During the event entrepreneurs  business, marketing, and regular citizens can help steer the direction of the development and explore great ideas with the techies, and work on the presentation and communicating the idea clearly.