Chi Hack Night: PCs for People

Join us for our in-person Hack Nights at TeamWorking at TechNexus!

We are a group of thousands of designers, academic researchers, data journalists, activists, policy wonks, web developers and curious citizens who want to make our city more just, equitable, transparent and delightful to live in through data, design and technology.

Presentation - Loren Williams from PCs for People
Since 1998, PCs for People has refurbished over 400,000 devices which were contributed by corporations, colleges, government entities, and other organizations. They have diverted over 23 million lbs of e-waste from landfills while equipping underserved communities with the tools needed to succeed in a digital world.

Area organizations with 15 or more computers to contribute can request pickup here. Low income households and nonprofit organizations can learn about getting computers here.

What happens at a hack night?

Every week, we have a 45 minute presentation by a government agency, non-profit, company or group who've made use of open data or built a civic technology application. The goal of these presentations is to showcase the different uses and opportunities, as well as challenges and successes in the civic technology movement.

After the presentation, the format of the event is similar to that of a hackathon where breakout groups self-organize to work on civic apps, discuss policies and their implications, learn technical skills and network with a welcoming and diverse community at the intersection of technology and government.

But I'm not a techie!

That's ok! We encourage non-technical folks to pair up and learn from our community's designers and developers. We've seen time and time again, the best civic projects come from teams with a diverse background.

Remember, there's much more to making a great app than just coding.

ASL interpreting available

If you have need for an American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter, let us know when you register for the event and we will provide one, provided enough lead time.

Questions about the event? We have answers:

Q: I won’t be able to make it in person. Will the event be live streamed?

A: Yes. The event will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/chihacknight/live

Q: Will there be food?

A: Yes! We will be serving Costa Rican empanadas, chicken casado and rice from Irazu!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

TeamWorking at TechNexus, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago, United States