The City of Champaign is having their second meeting for their participation in the Illinois Open Technology Challenge (illinoisopentech.org) on Wednesday, January 30, 2012 from 6 to 8:30 pm at the Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green Street, Champaign, IL. Illinois Open Technology brings governments, developers and communities together in a common mission to use public data and create digital tools that will serve today’s civic needs and promote economic development. Patrick East, the City of Champaign Webmaster says, “Citizens are the driving force behind this initiative. Whether you have development skills, ideas for projects, or a passion for community, we want you to come out and be a part of this.”
This multi-month initiative aims to make Illinois’ open data platform, Data.Illinois.Gov, available statewide, and host government trainings, community meetings and hackathons that will bring together developers in technology with civicminded individuals and organizations. Our goal is to help develop a real community where we will see sustainable civic results and developers will prosper.
Champaign is one of four pilot communities participating in the Illinois Open Technology Challenge along with Belleville, Rockford and the South Suburbs. An award of at least $75K in total prize money will be awarded to individuals, or team of individuals for developing innovative software applications that utilize open government data to best address the challenges in these communities.
There will be lots to discuss– please join us! For more information, please visit www.meetup.com/illinois-open-technology.