It’s Up to Us!

Code for America Brigade Congress 2018

This October 19th, 2018, hundreds of eager volunteers from all over the U.S. (as well as Mexico City and Japan) came together for Brigade Congress.

We learned, listened, shared and connected, and it was amazing.

Team Austin Community Fellows, Rohan Mathur and Britney Lyons, Affordable Housing Project Presentation

We split up into smaller groups to share presentations and lead workshops and discussion panels. I was able to learn about civic tech projects from other parts of the country, hear about ongoing project struggles and compare notes on strategies for better solutions.

Everyone was very open to sharing their story and suggesting different ideas. Hands-on workshops and discussion groups were lead by other attendees. I learned about a variety of easy yet extremely practical tools, including logic models, journey mapping, and applied user research.

Carlos Moreno, Co-Captain at Code for Tulsa, teaching logic models.

In addition to smaller events hosted by peers, we were also super fortunate to have a great group of speakers share their perspective with everyone.

Kimberlee Archie, Equity and Inclusion Manager from the City of Asheville, on “Let’s Talk About Equity and Inclusion”

I really appreciate how all the speakers gave me a fresh take on the world around me.

They were also very entertaining.

Zack Exley, political and technology consultant, on his experience bringing together phone bank volunteers

Overall, my main takeaway was how the most practical solutions might come unexpectedly — from observation, active listening, and thoughtful conversations.

Here are some other smaller, albeit really cool, takeaways.

Ready to learn how to make a difference?

Join Code for San Jose at our Meetup page!