Jan 18, 2011 - Claremont, Calif. - Mjumbe Poe ’05 hopes to leverage technology to revamp city hall.

This month, the computer science major will join a five-member team charged with an 11-month mission of developing a Web-based application that connects civic leaders and city residents in a way that empowers both like never before.

The program will streamline communication, enable residents to access information about their neighborhoods, and organize information for civic leaders so they can better understand and respond to the communities they serve.

Created initially for the city of Philadelphia, the open-source software will eventually benefit other cities nationwide that opt to emulate the system.

The project, “Civic Leader Network,” is one of four targeted by the first class of the Code for America Fellows. Inspired by Teach for America, Code for America (CFA) works with city officials and talented software developers to identify and create Web solutions that address civic challenges.

The competitive fellowship attracted 362 applicants for its inaugural class, from which only 20—including Poe—were selected. Three other fellowship teams will work on projects in Boston, D.C. and Seattle.

Fellows receive a $35,000 stipend, healthcare benefits and travel expenses. Training is provided throughout the fellowship, beginning with an intensive one-month public administration series at CFA’s San Francisco headquarters. Fellows also benefit from expert advice from leaders in both government and Web industry sectors through CFA’s guest speaker series.

Poe and his team members will shadow Philadelphia city officials and community leaders throughout the month of February to determine their needs. In March, they will return to CFA’s headquarters to begin development of a software application to meet them.

The resulting product will be unveiled at a conference in September, and then delivered to the city through a two-month transition process.