This past year brought home the importance of digital interfaces to government, not just in the national headlines with the frustrating launch of healthcare.gov, but here at Code for America. There’s a pressing need for the public to lead the way, bringing new talent to solve our shared problems.

In 2013, we saw those leaders step up. Twenty-seven Fellows, hundreds of partners in local government, thousands of active volunteers, new international partners, and more than a dozen civic startups — together we found new ways to transform our communities and refine our shared vision of what government by the people, for the people means in the 21st century.

We explored what it means when interfaces to government are decidedly not simple, beautiful, or easy to use: when they stand between you and feeding your family, your healthcare, or your child’s education. Fellows working in Louisville and New York City delved into the criminal justice system. In the Bay Area, teams tackled access to food assistance and social services. These experiences, and others like them, remind us what’s at stake in our work — and what's possible.

We begin 2014 with a deepened commitment to work on what matters.

Thank you for all that you do.

The Code for America Team