Three Reasons You Should Attend Summit This Year

Every year, Code for America Summit brings together people who believe government can work better for everyone. This year feels different. The challenges facing our communities are evolving quickly. Technology is changing even faster. And across the country, public servants, technologists, designers, and advocates are asking the same question: how do we build policy, programs, and technologies that not only meet the moment, but also work towards a better future?

Here are three reasons you should join us.

Join the conversation about emerging technology and AI

Artificial intelligence is no longer hypothetical in government. It’s here. Agencies are experimenting with AI-powered tools to improve customer service, process benefits applications, translate content, and analyze data. At the same time, communities are rightfully asking tough questions about bias, transparency, accountability, and privacy.

Summit is a place where we can have honest, nuanced conversations about what emerging technology means for public systems—and for the people who rely on them. We won’t just talk about AI in theory. We’ll dig into practical questions like:

• How can AI reduce administrative burden and free up government workers’ time for tasks that need a human touch?
• What does responsible procurement look like in an era of rapidly evolving tools?
• How can we design safeguards into systems from the start?
• What policies and governance structures do we need to ensure that people are at the center of every decision?

This is a moment that calls for public interest technologists, policy leaders, community advocates, and designers to sit at the same table. Summit is where those conversations happen. It’s where practitioners share lessons learned, where challenges are discussed honestly, and where new collaborations take root. If you’re thinking about how AI and emerging technologies intersect with public service, this is the room you want to be in.

Experience civic tech beyond the coasts

This year, Summit is in Chicago. Hosting Summit in the heartland is more than a change of scenery; it’s a statement about where civic tech lives. For too long, conversations about technology and government have been concentrated on the coasts. But civic tech has always been a nationwide movement. In cities, counties, and states across the country, public servants and community organizations are redesigning services, modernizing systems, and centering residents in decision-making.

Summit is an opportunity to connect with practitioners from across the country, learn how different jurisdictions are approaching similar challenges, and bring those lessons back home. It’s also a chance to build relationships that cut across geography—because the problems we’re solving don’t stop at state lines.

Summit 2026 will be a celebration of civic tech in all its many forms, and an intentional nurturing of our community in all the places it exists. Chicago embodies so many qualities that we see reflected in the civic tech movement: a strong culture of innovation, a spirit of resilience, and a deep sense of identity. We’re excited to convene in the center of the country and watch what ideas spring up in a new setting, because when we say “the future we build,” we mean a future built everywhere.

If you care about expanding the map of civic innovation, you’ll want to join us in Chicago.

We’re excited to convene in the center of the country and watch what ideas spring up in a new setting, because when we say “the future we build,” we mean a future built everywhere.

Go deeper with advanced sessions designed for practitioners

Summit has always been a place to get inspired. After hearing your feedback from the past several Summits, we’re expanding our focus on more advanced sessions that reflect the maturation of the field.

In addition to foundational sessions for beginners, we’re offering more 201- and 301-level sessions for engineers, designers, policy wonks, product managers, researchers, and technologists who are ready to go deeper. These advanced sessions are built for people who are already doing the work and want to get into the weeds about their specialties. 

Across breakout sessions, mainstage panels, lightning talks, and our Demo Lab,  you can expect:

• Deep dives into service design in complex regulatory environments
• Technical explorations into LLM evaluation practices
• Advanced discussions on data governance and privacy
• Hands-on learning about multi-system data integration

We know that civic tech is a field that spans disciplines. Engineers need to understand policy constraints. Policy experts need to understand technical tradeoffs. Designers need to navigate procurement and compliance. Our 201- and 301- sessions are designed to reflect that complexity.

Summit will give you more than inspiration—you’ll leave with tools to move the work forward. Frameworks you can apply. Case studies you can reference. Peers you can call when you hit a wall.

And because these sessions bring together experienced practitioners, the conversations go further. They’re candid, tactical, and grounded in real-world constraints. If you’re looking to deepen your expertise, these advanced sessions are for you.

The future we build—together

This year’s Summit theme is an invitation. It’s a reminder that the systems we use every day—benefits platforms, court systems, tax filing tools, public health infrastructure—are not inevitable. They are designed. And what is designed can be redesigned.

When we gather in Chicago, we’re going to be asking how we can build systems that are more effective, more accessible, and more human. So if you’re ready to engage in thought-provoking questions about AI and emerging tech, if you’re excited to see civic innovation thriving across the country, and if you’re eager to level up your practice through advanced sessions—then Summit is where you belong.