Hacking for a cause

Those of us in the maker community know the importance and the power of collaboration. Without it, oneTesla simply wouldn't exist. The coiling community came together to fund our first kit, they collaborate on troubleshooting issues via our forum, and we make our schematics and manual open to the public for other coil enthusiasts to learn from. We know how science and technology can advance the world if we work together.

Next weekend, Code for America is asking for coders, developers, designers, and many more to collaborate with them during their National Day of Civic Hacking. Code for America aims to improve communities at the state and local level by bringing open-source applications to the government workforce. The National Day of Civic Hacking, which will take place on May 31st at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia, will bring together the makers in their community to improve current civic applications and brainstorm new ones. The agenda for the day includes creating an application that maps public playgrounds and all their amenities so that families can plan their trips more easily.

If you are in the Arlington area from 8 am to 9 pm on May 31st, we highly encourage you to check out the National Day of Civic Hacking. And if not, see what you can give back to your community, whether it's through Code for America, a hobbyist internet forum, or otherwise. We can create some awesome things when we all work together.