Beyond Elections: Civic Engagement & Public Interest Tech

Kip Dooley

We all know by now that 2024 is a major year for elections around the globe. But democracy, as a system, is about more than elections. Democracy depends on the ability to create communities through shared interests and values, to identify and articulate problems, and to work with other groups to develop and advance solutions. Elections are an important piece of the puzzle, but democracy as a whole depends on year-round, lifelong practices of civic engagement.

This month, learn how a New York City fellowship program is preparing a new generation of civic leaders who can leverage data to help solve complex public problems in partnership with communities they seek to serve (City University of New York & BetaNYC). Our PIT in Practice Profile shows how Georgia Tech is building an interdisciplinary community of researchers and practitioners to support secure and accessible elections here in the U.S. If you are doing election-focused work this year, we'd love to learn more. Fill out this form, and we'll be in touch.

The 2024 Network Challenge is now open! Read on to learn more about this year's focus areas and requirements, and how you can join our Evaluation Committee. Our Resources this month include an update to Federal Funding Opportunities, along with guides and reports from PIT-UN members on a range of voting and civic engagement issue areas.

Over 150 students attended the Tech for Change Civic Tech Hackathon in February at Boston University. Read the recap in our News & Opportunities section, and suggest ideas for the 2025 Hackathon. And don't forget: Papers for the new special issue on public interest technology from WPI & De Gruyter Press are due June 1.