Civic Tech Builder
Civic Tech Builder: Build a Governance Tool for a GovTech Startup. A 4–8 weeks Intravarsity career experience (30–50 hours) for school and undergraduate stude
Technology can make governance transparent and accessible. You'll work with a govtech startup to research a real civic problem, design a digital solution, and build a working prototype that the startup tests with government partners.
Design and prototype a digital tool that makes government more transparent and accessible. Work with a govtech startup to solve real civic challenges with technology.
Who it is for
High school, secondary school students & undergraduates. Interest in social impact, politics, or technology.
Weekly plan
Week 1: Civic Problem Discovery
- Meet the govtech startup and understand their civic focus
- Study how local government services work and where they fail
- Conduct interviews with community members and government staff
- Define the civic challenge and user personas
Week 2: Design & Prototype
- Design user flows for the civic technology solution
- Build wireframes in Figma with accessibility-first principles
- Create an interactive prototype using no-code tools
- Get feedback from the startup's product team
Week 3: User Testing & Policy
- Test the prototype with 5+ community members
- Write a 2-page policy brief on the problem and proposed solution
- Calculate potential social impact metrics
- Iterate based on user feedback and policy considerations
Week 4: Demo & Impact Presentation
- Polish the prototype for public demonstration
- Present to civic tech professionals and government officials
- Discuss implementation, scalability, and sustainability
- Receive Proof-of-Work credential and govtech recommendation
What you produce
- Civic tech prototype
- Policy brief
- User research report
- GovTech startup recommendation
- Intravarsity Proof-of-Work credential
Skills
Civic Tech, UX Design, Prototyping (Figma), Policy Writing, No-Code Tools, Community Research, Accessibility, Impact Measurement
Commitment
~5–8 hours/week for 4–8 weeks (30–50 hours total). 100% Virtual — work remotely with a govtech startup.