Here’s what Philly tech was up to during MLK Day

While some view Martin Luther King Day as a straight-up holiday, a few Philly technologists honored the day’s spirit by taking on impact projects across town on Monday.

We saw Code for Philly partner with Think Company developers to lend a hand to Project Cognoma, an open-source project which is using machine learning to help biologists with cancer research.

“Code for Philly was able to connect civic technologists with a private company, bringing together unique skill sets to collaborate and make a big impact in a small amount of time,” wrote Code for Philly’s comms lead Pat Woods in a blog post. “Project Cognoma received expertise consulting on their user interfaces. Think Company designers and UX volunteers were able to spend the day using design thinking to fight cancer.”

Our design & dev teams spending #MLKDay w/ @CodeForPhilly & @ProjectCognoma to strengthen the web app & help biologists analyze cancer data pic.twitter.com/fUa6AmvxWw

— Think Company (@thinkcompany) January 16, 2017

On a more low-tech note, Comcast’s Black Employee Network  teamed up with nonprofit City Year to help spruce up Harding Middle School in Frankford.

Thanks to @BEN_Comcast for helping us restore Harding middle school on #cymlk #DayofService #MLKDAY w/ @CityYear! pic.twitter.com/yniFZkbGXc

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— BEN at Comcast (@BEN_Comcast) January 17, 2017

They also got some help from AT&T workers

Proud of #ATTinPA crew working #cyMLK Day of Service at Harding Middle Sch., feeder to @FrankfordHS. Yo @MrCalderone @ConnectToGood pic.twitter.com/bAbPg4KXjX

— Joe Divis (@Jf_divis5) January 16, 2017

Meanwhile, the Interactive Mechanics camp unplugged from tech by joining the Museum of Impact’s Upstanders project, which aimed to join artistic expressions with activism.

Learning about local & global #Upstanders & resources to uplift our communities with @MuseumofImpact #MLKday2017 pic.twitter.com/xc9SmDZBO3

— InteractiveMechanics (@InteractiveMech) January 16, 2017

The scrappy team behind Philly Startup Leaders teamed up with Nationalities Service Center to help preparing inmigrants for the harsh winter with a good ol’ fashioned clothing drive:

The PSL team volunteering at @NSCPhila for #MLKDAY. Check out the organization- they are taking clothing donations! pic.twitter.com/fVjYGjLdH1

— PhillyStartupLeaders (@startupleaders) January 16, 2017

And last but not least: while this reporter dedicated the day to tackle wonky administrative tasks for nonprofit Casa de Venezuela, the Technically Media team offered a day of service to the Bryant Baptist Church in Point Breeze.

Hope you all understand a day of service is the least we can do! Grateful for the opportunity to roll up our sleeve… pic.twitter.com/8HsfIcLMlW

— Technically Media (@technicallym) January 16, 2017

And what did you do on MLK Day? Be sure to tell us in the comments below.