Code for America connects talent from the web industry with city governments for a year of public service, leveraging the power of the web to bring innovation and openness to the public sector. Inspired by Teach for America, Code for America recruits the brightest developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and researchers to devote a year to building web-based applications designed to solve core civic problems in America’s cities and make local government more transparent, efficient, and participatory. Through our fellowships, Code for America supports and develops the next generation of civic leaders who can realize transformational change in government, and nurtures a community of civic-minded open source software programmers. Cities get access to cutting-edge technology and fresh approaches to problem solving, helping them cut costs, work more effectively, and connect with their citizens in the face of challenges brought on by the budget crisis. And, all software and other work produced by Code for America fellows is shareable and freely available online for anyone to use or modify. Our projects don’t just improve government in our partner cities, but can be adapted to bring innovation to any city that chooses to deploy them. Fundamentally, it’s all about helping American cities use web technology to do a better job of providing services to citizens, while supporting the growth of the next generation of tech-savvy civic leaders.