We each have something unique to offer in the work of fixing our country, and if you have a talent for using technology to really engage people, the Code for America fellowship may be the best way for you to make a real difference. You won’t risk your life, but it will be challenging, it will push your limits and give you new skills and perspective, and it will be hugely rewarding. To borrow from the Peace Corps, it will be the toughest job you’ll ever love.

We’re now accepting applications.

How do I apply?
Our 2011 Fellows Application is available here. Applications are due August 15th at MIDNIGHT PST, but don’t wait until then to apply. We may ask you for additional information once we see your application, and the more time you give us, the better your chances of being selected. Folks selected for interviews will be contacted by September 1.

June 1: Application form for fellows available
August 15: Fellow applications due
September 1: First round of applicants notified, interviews begin
October 1: Final decisions on fellows announced
October 15: Deadline for fellows to commit to the program

Who will be reviewing the applications?

Leaders from both the tech industry and government have agreed to help us review candidates and ensure we’re getting the best people for the job. We are thrilled to have the input of such a diverse, experienced, and knowledgeable group:

• Irene Au, Google
• Lane Becker, Get Satisfaction
• Paul Buchheit, Facebook
• Anil Dash, Expert Labs
• Kelly Goto, Gotomedia
• Nick Grossman, Open Plans
• Dustin Haisler, City of Manor
• Scott Heiferman, Meetup.com
• Clay Johnson, InfoVegan.com
• Matt Knox, Twitter
• Mike Migurski, Stamen
• Jay Nath, City of San Francisco
• Craig Shapiro, GOOD Inc
• Rashmi Sinha, Slideshare

Who are we looking for?
Anyone with the skills and passion to make cities work better using technology. Many of you will be starting your careers, but others of you will have been working on the web for years and just want a chance to do something important and altruistic. All of you will want to see your work make a difference to cities and change how government works.

Do I need to be a coder?
We are building small project teams here, so we’re not just looking for developers. We need designers, product managers, and researchers. So yes, we will be developing serious and innovative technology for each city, and for that we need high-caliber developers and programmers. But we’ll also need researchers to determine the city’s needs, project managers to translate those needs into features, designers to fashion those features into a usable application, and business analysts to integrate that application in a sustainable system. We need folks who can bring new technologies into city governments and help spread change. We need passionate, smart, diplomatic people who get how it could work better, and can convince others of the value of trying something new.

Where would I be working?

The program will be based out of San Francisco, where fellows will spend the majority of their time in order to share of resources across the teams, engage in training and development exercises, and connect with mentors and speakers from the Silicon Valley and San Francisco-based technologies communities. In the month of February, however, the fellows will be embedded on-site in their assigned cities — either Boston, Philadelphia, Boulder, DC, or Seattle — working with city officials hands-on to understand their needs and develop the project.

Can non-US residents apply?

As a new organization we’re unsure whether we’ll have the resources to handle residency and visa issues, as we don’t have a experienced HR or legal department at this point. We’re working on getting more information. We encourage your to apply in the meantime, although we can’t clarify further on eligibility yet.

More questions?
Great. This is the first year for Code for America so we don’t have all the answers yet, so don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re working hard to put all the pieces together. But no piece is more important than getting the right people to raise their hands and say “I’m in. I want to help.”

Can we see a few hands?