Code For America opened the latest application round for its 2015 fellowship class this month. The organization will be focusing on phase two efforts that dig into the meatier issues surrounding civic engagement and technology like healthcare and the digital divide.
Previous Code for America fellows have developed tools and applications that are already in use in cities across the country. Past fellows have created applications like RecordTrac, which displays every message or record uploaded before prompting users to make new submissions; OpenCounter which streamlines building permitting, and Promptly which sends text messages to San Francisco Human Services Agency clients to ensure they maintain current enrollment filings on their earned benefits account.
“The problems surrounding the initial launch of healthcare.gov amplified for the public the critical
need for government to use technology in more effective ways. explains Nicole Neditch, Fellowship Director at Code for America in an interview with CivSource.
The organization is starting to move into areas of government that will take more work and offline as well as online support. “We’re looking at procurement, we’re looking at how to get people involved who aren’t online and may never be online,” Neditch adds.
Over 600 people applied to be a Code for America fellow in the last cycle. Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka is also now back with the organization following her year-long tenure as Deputy CTO at the Office for Science and Technology Policy in the White House. Alumni of the organization have gone on to work in civic startups and at technology companies. Most recently, GovDelivery announced that it would be bringing on Abhi Nemani, former co-Executive Director for Code for America, as its first Civic Innovator in Residence.
In that role, Nemani will be working to expand GovDelivery and support GovDelivery’s GovLoop division with its recent Knight Foundation grant to develop an online education site for federal, state and local government employees.
Potential applicants have until July 15 to vie for this year’s fellowship class. The application is here.
