CITY, STATE, NON-PROFIT, AND PRIVATE-SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS ALL COLLABORATE TO HELP CREATE BETTER AND STRONGER NEIGHBORHOODS – AUGUST 13-29, 2021

Indianapolis, IN 06/10/2021

The preeminent annual civic tech event in Indianapolis this year is aimed at helping strengthen our neighborhoods. It will be held virtually on the HackerEarth platform from August 13-29 2021. Registration is now available at https://indycivichack.hackerearth.com

The annual Indy Civic Hackathon (now in its seventh year) identifies a community challenge that often does not get the attention of the technology community. In partnership with city and state agencies, non-profits and private-sector organizations work together to address a community-wide problem. Past challenges have included food insecurity and helping those just released from prison, among others. In addition to city and state representation, this year’s sponsors include: AT&T Indiana, Salesforce, Carbonite, Level Up Development, and Metamor Systems.

Teams of 2-5 people brainstorm a solution to the challenge. Details about the challenge, data sets, and Q&A will be available on the HackerEarth platform for all at the start of the hackathon on August 13. Each team is asked for the most creative and innovative solution that they can build using any technology. At the end of the hackathon, teams present their solutions and are judged by technology and community representatives.

This year, the challenge is to help strengthen our community at a neighborhood level. Here is the challenge statement:

“We know our communities are full of people and organizations doing good, such as youth groups offering yard clean ups. But these groups do not always have an easy way to publicize their services in their community. So often, these organizations and services do not get the voice that they deserve. Additionally, many residents do not know where to go for helpful services in their neighborhoods. The 2021 hackathon seeks to address these issues by creating an accessible and inclusive solution.

If we can enable those who typically do not have access to great technology to easily broadcast their services...and if we can enable easy updates...then anyone can find helpful services for those who need it. And by connecting residents with services provided by their neighbors, we can build stronger community ties.

In addition to including the important social services offered by state and local authorities, our hackathon's challenge is to design a platform that is so inclusive that any organization - regardless of size, type or technology capabilities - can help connect the community together. Of course, there are serious considerations including:

• How to make the solution accessible to all in our community - regardless of access to computers
• How to make information easily entered and updated
• How to vet the information to ensure that it is trustworthy
• How to enable integration with other apps or systems that may benefit the community

While there are historical organizations that provide critical services, we need to create a platform and process to easily incorporate other organizations and services.

This can get the larger community much more involved…and as we strengthen ties between neighbors, we lay the building blocks for making our neighborhoods, and the city itself, stronger.

Come join us on 8/13-8/29 to create solutions that could be "game changers" in your neighborhood! Register for the Indy Civic Hackathon at: https://indycivichack.hackerearth.com"

This year, the Indy Civic Hackathon has partnered with national social change organization, MovementForward, Inc (MFI), to announce the launch of MFI’s mobile app, Community by MovementForward. The app will be released on June 17 and will be piloted in the Near West Collaborative neighborhood of Indianapolis.

“Over the past several years, we have seen how technology can be used bring awareness to long-standing issues. While technology is not the solution to all problems, it has proven to be a powerful tool. Community by MovementForward was designed to be a resource that helps bridge the division between communities and local law enforcement. The Community app serves to bring understanding and reinforce a cooperative atmosphere by providing ways users can interact, discover resources and engage with law enforcement.”, said Ryan Yarrell, managing director, MovementForward, Inc., Indianapolis. “I’m excited about the Indy Civic Hack because it gives some of our most talented up-and-coming tech professionals an opportunity to think through and create disruptive tools that could have a major impact on communities everywhere.”

For questions or more information, contact: hello@indycivichack.org or Scott Moshier (317-966-7339).

The Indy Civic Hackathon is a collaboration between many organizations including:

• AT&T Indiana