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| Code for America Boston | |
|---|---|
| Name | Code for America Boston |
| Type | Nonprofit civic tech brigade |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Region | New England |
Code for America Boston is a local civic technology brigade affiliated with a national Code for America network that collaborates with municipal, nonprofit, and academic institutions in Boston, Massachusetts. The group brings together volunteers from tech communities including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Boston University, and private firms such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon (company), and IBM. Members work alongside departments from the City of Boston, regional entities like the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and nonprofit partners such as United Way of Massachusetts Bay, AARP, and Tech Together.
Founded in 2012 during a period of growth for civic brigades associated with Code for America, the organization formed amid collaborations with municipal leaders including the Mayor of Boston's office and civic innovators from Boston City Council. Early projects connected volunteers from MIT Media Lab and Harvard Kennedy School with public servants from agencies like the Boston Planning & Development Agency and the Boston Public Health Commission. The brigade drew inspiration from precedents set by groups in San Francisco, New York City, and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and participated in umbrella events such as Civic Hacking Day and the National Day of Civic Hacking.
The brigade operates with coordinators, event organizers, and working groups composed of volunteers affiliated with companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and consultancies such as Accenture and Deloitte. Governance includes steering committees that liaise with municipal offices including the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics and regional authorities such as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Leadership has included civic technologists trained in programs at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Tufts University and collaborating with community organizations like Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and Commonwealth of Massachusetts agencies.
Code for America Boston ran programs focused on open data, user-centered design, and participatory mapping with partners like OpenStreetMap, Esri, and the Open Data Institute. Initiatives included data sprints with the City of Boston's Open Data Portal, workshops at Museum of Science (Boston), and public forums hosted with The Boston Globe, WBUR (FM), and WGBH (FM)]. Educational outreach partnered with schools affiliated with Boston Public Schools, Cambridge Public Schools, and community colleges including Bunker Hill Community College.
Projects addressed civic challenges including transit accessibility with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and housing search tools in collaboration with Boston Housing Authority. Other efforts integrated datasets from the American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, and state registries administered by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and Registry of Motor Vehicles (Massachusetts). Technical stacks drew on technologies from GitHub, Node.js, Python (programming language), React (JavaScript library), and hosted on platforms like Heroku and Amazon Web Services.
Funding sources and partners included philanthropic organizations such as the Knight Foundation, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, and corporate sponsors in collaboration with institutions like MassMutual, John Hancock Financial, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Strategic partnerships extended to civic incubators such as The Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, research centers at Harvard Kennedy School, and regional networks like MassTech Collaborative. Grant support came from foundations like the Ford Foundation and government programs connected to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development initiatives.
The brigade's work influenced policy dialogues involving the Boston City Council and contributed to tools cited by outlets including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and Wired (magazine). Civic projects were showcased at conferences such as South by Southwest, Open Data Science Conference, and Civic Tech Conference, and received recognition from organizations like Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and awards administered by the National Civic League. Academic evaluations came from scholars at Harvard Kennedy School and MIT Center for Civic Media.
Code for America Boston organized and participated in events with partners such as MIT Media Lab, Harvard Innovation Labs, and civic festivals including Boston TechJam and HubWeek. Major hackathons included collaborations for the National Day of Civic Hacking, local editions of HackMIT, and civic design sprints co-hosted with Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners HealthCare. The brigade also joined regional convenings like New England Code Camp and national summits such as the Code for America Summit.
Category:Organizations based in Boston