Technology isn’t just making it easier for people to communicate with each other, it’s also making it easier for them to express themselves freely, especially those who live in low-income communities. Since a lot of those communities are right here in New York, it’s something Microsoft New York is pretty passionate about.
That’s why we were very excited to support C/I, a New York-based nonprofit that teaches underserved students how to code, by playing host for their hackathon last Saturday, January 31st on finding ways to enhance free speech through technology. Altogether over 80 C/I students spent the morning working under the guidance of 25 volunteer tech mentors to develop some astoundingly creative project ideas in just a few hours.
The students, who have been learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript through C/I, then got to present their ideas in front of judges from a number of major NYC-based organizations, including Time Inc, Handy, NYC Media Lab, Saks Fifth Avenue and IV Media. And the judges were blown away by the quality of the projects, which included everything from a website that aggregates news from a spectrum of viewpoints, to “The Silencer,” a device that ensures cell phone conversations stay private wherever you are.
To find out more about the hackathon, check out C/I’s blog post on the event. And if you’re interested in the impact C/I has on its students day after day, take a look at their website as well. They’re doing amazing work!