Fellowship recruits tech talent to transform city governments

California-based Code for America is a nonpartisan effort to help the brightest minds of the current tech generation rebuild city governments across the U.S.

We’ve already seen some compelling examples of the change that can be wrought in local governments through the deft application of new web technologies. Aiming to make such tech-enabled transformation more widespread, California-based Code for America is a nonpartisan effort to help the brightest minds of the current tech generation rebuild city governments across the U.S. Inspired in part by Teach for America, CFA works with city officials and leading web development talent to identify and develop web solutions that can then be shared and rolled out more broadly to cities across America. Toward that end, each year it plans to offer an 11-month fellowship to support select cutting-edge tech talent. Five cities have already been chosen for the project’s inaugural 2011 year: Boston, Boulder, D.C., Philadelphia and Seattle. Now, the project’s leaders are in the process of choosing the talent who will be charged with transforming those city governments. More than 350 people applied by the effort’s mid-August deadline; those who are ultimately selected will not only receive a USD 35,000 stipend, travel expenses and healthcare, but also the training and support to be positioned as a leader in business, public service or both. Fellows will be announced on Oct. 1. Web technologies have already transformed much of the commercial sector; now it’s time to upgrade local governments on a broad scale. Civic-minded innovators: one to emulate in your part of the world…? (Related: Dutch city launches iPhone app for lodging civic complaints — NYC challenges developers to create apps using city data — In Boston, an iPhone app for civic complaints — In San Francisco, civic complaints via Twitter — Tagging repairs for local government.) Spotted by: San Jose Mercury News via Jim Stewart