Why the Zip Code Wilmington and Code for Philly joint meetup was a great idea

Earlier this week, coding education program Zip Code Wilmington hosted a joint meetup with civic hacking group Code for Philly at restaurant Brick and Mortar in Philadelphia’s Callowhill neighborhood. The happy hour meetup included an overview of both organizations and explored ways different members from each organization can collaborate on civic hacking projects.
Here are some reasons why the joint meetup made sense:

• It gave both parties a chance to network and meet new people. After all, that’s how communities grow.
• It presented many different sets of viewpoints: from potential Zip Code applicants, current students and alumni in addition to those already involved with current and potential Code for Philly projects.
• Conversations took place comparing and contrasting the Delaware and Philadelphia scene, which, in effect, fostered a better understanding of both scenes and paves the way for a regional tech community, something that Carvertise’s Greg Star advocated for in a recent guest post.
• Both organizations have received some great accolades, from Zip Code being recognized by the White House to Code for Philly’s cofounder being included on Code for America’s National Advisory Council.

The Delaware tech scene is no stranger to collaboration. We can’t wait to see what organizations collaborate next.