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Hacknight #131 – with CodeAcross Challenge Previews

Date: February 27, 2018

Venue: Rangle.io

Presenters: Code Across Toronto Team

Presenting: Presented CodeAcross Toronto Challenges as part of  Civic Tech Toronto’s yearly hackathon! Hosted in partnership with the Toronto Public Library on Open Data Day on March 3rd, 2018.

Video:

 

Announcements:

  • Civic Tech Organizing Volunteers
    We need volunteers to help Civic Tech run!

    • Emcee!
    • Run the live stream!
    • Make sure our venue hosts love us!
    • Manage our social media and communications!
    • Lots more fun (and critical) stuff!

Come talk to Chris or any of the organizers

 

Project Pitches:

Project Lead(s) Description / Needs
Civic Tech 101 Patcon Description: Introduce you to Civic Tech Toronto and learn about one another. Please go here if it’s your first time!

Location: Pulling chairs around the main screen.

CodeAcross 2018 Planning Alex Hackathon planning for Code Across 2018 on March 3 at Toronto Public Library (Reference Library)

What we’re doing today: I’m helping with the fundraising team,

What we need: InDesign designer, someone to help with content

Budgetpedia Arthur Description of project: See budgetpedia.ca. Bringing transparency, and understanding, to Toronto’s budget. Also advocating for improvements!

Tonight:

  • Review of draft Budgetpedia Advocacy Platform to encourage improvements in City budgeting.
    • is it clear?
    • is it reasonable?
    • is it realistic?

Anytime:

  • Contacting journalists and pitching to them
  • first annual TABS (Toronto Annual Budget Scorecard)
  • Tweeting; social media presence 
  • research improving Toronto budget design; getting Toronto detailed data; foi
  • Financial analysis: looking at some FOI financial data obtained from the City
  • Accountants: improved accounting model for Toronto budget
  • Advocacy Platform; campaign
  • software development website; CMS
  • data portal for budgetpedia
  • designing data warehouse for any (parts) of financial data from any government

What you need: Writers, researchers, ux designers, front and back end developers, people interested in giving feedback on budgetpedia

Keep in touch: budgetpedia.ca

Bike Parking Sonal Description of project: A webapp which will allow cyclists to drop a pin on a map of Toronto indicating insufficiencies in bike parking infrastructure. We believe that the most valuable data to improve Toronto’s bike parking will be crowdsourced.

What we’re doing today: Squashing bugs & getting feedback on our MVP!

What we need: Developers, Designers, Researchers, Data Analysts, Communicators

MVP: https://app.bikespace.ca/

Law and Design Team Avery Description of project: Improving access, usability of legal information. There is an access to justice crisis!

What we’re doing today: Hacking

What we need: User researchers, graphic designers, website builders, anyone with interest in legal issues

Women and Colour Mohammed Description of project: Online community of talented women and people of colour available for speaking opportunities at tech-related events.

What we’re doing today: Today we are working on the project!

What we need:

  • Javascript/Python developers (React + Django) for website development
  • Digital marketers for speaker engagement
  • Community managers for partnership outreach

Visit: womenandcolor.com

Chalmers Cards Zach Description of project: Chalmers Cards are laser-cut wooden handouts that explain how to access public resources for folks in tight financial situations. Stuff like toll free numbers for shelter referral, financial aid registration, and free legal aid.

The cards are laser cut onto wood so the information doesn’t get crumpled. Plus people think they’re cool so the cards don’t get lost!

What we’re doing today: Thinking about changing the card!

What we need:

  • Laser Cutters
  • Feedback on the card design
  • Bounce around ideas
Shelter Map Andrew Description of project: We’ve had a particularly bad winter, and ensuring everyone has safe overnight shelter is a challenge. We want to build a system to help frontline workers place people looking for temporary or emergency shelter.

What we’re doing today: Looking for people who are knowledgeable about the shelter system so we can define stakeholders we want to help.

What we need:

  • People who have first-, second-, or any-hand experience with the Toronto Shelter System
  • People interested in user research
DemocracyKit Tech Team Josh Description of project: We are an open online platform to share advice, educational resources and campaign technology with campaign teams running for municipal office.

What we’re doing today: Making some much needed edits to the website:

  • Develop search widgets for resource library, events, etc.
  • Discuss possible future tech collaborations

What we need: Web developers, designers & civic technologists interested in opening the municipal election process. Also looking for people that want to join and work towards leadership role on the tech team.

Keep in touch:

Find Me Canada Description of project: No one wants to go missing for being Missing. There are thousands of missing people in Ontario alone hundreds of them are in the GTA are. Find Me Canada is a  project that aims to help Police departments in Canada (starting TPS) finding Missing people using Artificial Intelligence especially connecting missing people to a possible criminal act. Hopefully expand more features in future.

What you’re doing today: I work in the I.T. field in the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security

What you need: Volunteers to work with in future when the project idea matures better.

 

Attendees: 47

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