Code for America’s “Apps for Detroit” (appsfordetroit.org) is a coding challenge that called upon Detroit programmers, developers and web gurus to assemble a team and create a civic app to impact either the city of Detroit or a local nonprofit. Teams and individuals were invited to compete with the ability to win some pretty neat prizes.
Participants could have either worked on their own or in a team to create an application in two weeks that addressed a civic or another important issue of a local non-profit, or the city of Detroit. Teams competed to create an open source (preferably) application that addresses a problem facing the city of Detroit or local non-profit.
Those judging the final submissions are of some of Detroit’s most tech savvy, including: Ben Bator, co-founder of Text’s From Last Night, Nick DeNardis from Wayne State University’s Web Communications department, Karla Henderson of the Mayor’s Office and Steven Henderson from the Detroit Free Press.
Winners of “Apps for Detroit” were announced last week and include: ARTOWN Detroit in 1st place, My City – Detroit in 2nd, and DDOTinfo in 3rd. “Best Design” went to Landmarked, Why Don’t We Own This? was honored for its sustained civic engagement, while seven runners up also received nods including: Detroit Metrics, Explore Detroit Now, Making Detroit, Pick Em Up, Bus Schedules, Discretion Checker, and I Am Young Detroit’s own CitySpotters!
The participants coded away to help solve some very real problems facing the city and organizations within it, and If helping out the city wasn’t motivation enough, the winners are taking home some pretty cool prizes. ARTOWN Detroit scores a trip to San Francisco to work right out of “Code for America’s” office with some of the best coding talent in the industry. My City – Detroit will get a chance to attend a “Leadership Lunch in Detroit”, where they’ll be treated to lunch at one of Detroit’s finest restaurants and will dine with Detroit’s movers and shakers in the tech and business community. Finally, DDOTinfo will take home a “Web-shop Goodie Basket” that contains credits and tools to help get their app off the ground and help them fund more app ideas.
Now that you’re in the know, look out for the faces and organizations who are helping to solve problems facing Detroit and local nonprofits and show your support by engaging with and sharing their apps today, they could very well be the next technology gamechanger!
Source: Apps for Detroit
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