Unlocking Prison Phone Data: Create a tool to make prison phone data more accessible for criminal justice advocates, policymakers, and journalists. Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: Prison Policy Initiative, Easthampton, Mass.
Results: The Unlocking Prison Phone Data website (code here)

Mapping Safety Net Service Needs: create a map that compares the location of people receiving safety net services with Census demographic data that shows where the services are most needed. Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: Community Action, Greenfield, Mass.
Results: Prototype map (code here)

Benefits of Banking Locally: Compare our deposits in local banks and credit unions vs national banks and create a visual way to show how banking locally benefits area residents and businesses. Lots of people know the benefits of eating locally and shopping locally, but many don’t know why banking locally makes so much sense. Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: Pioneer Valley Local First, Northampton, Mass.
Results: Local banking website (code here)

A Different Path for Teen Mothers: A typical high school dropout who becomes a teen mother is on track for a minimum wage job, with public assistance as a safety net. What could happen if we visualize a different path, one that instills a love of education and results in a better life for teenage mothers? Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: The Care Center, Holyoke, Mass.
Results: Infographic

Audit & Visualize Federal Money in our Communities: Despite current “open data” initiatives, the quality of federal spending data has declined significantly, making it impossible for advocates and organizers to know how tax dollars are spent. The U.S. budget is $3.7 trillion dollars, and we don’t know where that money goes. Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: National Priorities Project, Northampton, Mass.
Results: Guest post on the Sunlight Foundation blog, code to create electronic version of the U.S. Budget Appendix, sample map.

Expanding Northampton’s Tree Canopy: Help Northampton to grow a larger and more resilient tree canopy by building an online database to identify spots suitable for planting trees to mitigate the effects of climate change. Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: Lilly Lombard, Northampton, Mass
Results: NohoTrees.org (code here)

Mapping Wells and Water Quality: Massachusetts doesn’t track the location of private wells, a problem that can lead to water contamination. A database of private wells can help planning, reduce costs, and estimate water quality. Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Greenfield, Mass.
Results: Code here.

OpenStreetMap for Western Mass: Join the nearly 1 million collaborators who contribute to OpenStreetMap (OSM), the “Wikipedia of online maps.” Unlike proprietary online maps (e.g., Google Maps), OSM is open source, free to all, and can be edited by the community. How can we make this resource more useful to Western Massachusetts? Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: Jason Woofenden, Northampton, Mass.
Results: See Community Action Map project.

Seed Swap Database: Develop an online seed library to share information about locally available seeds, strengthen food sovereignty, self-reliance, local resiliency and adaptability of crops, and empower community building. Read more about this challenge.

Contributed by: Hilltown Seed Saving Network, Cummington, MA
Results: Hilltown Virtual Seed Back (code here)