ACT Congress 2026
Hosted by Florida Community Innovation in Orlando, FL
October 16-18, 2026 The Conduit, 1001 North Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 (Lake Ivanhoe)
What is ACT Congress?
The Alliance of Civic Technologists (ACT) is a decentralized network of civic technology volunteer organizations that connect, learn, and grow together. ACT Congress is their annual gathering, open to all and hosted by ACT member organizations, to discuss technology and community work for social good, collaborate on local and national projects, and build community.
This year, Florida Community Innovation (FCI) is proud to host ACT Congress in Orlando. Over the weekend, civic technologists, community advocates, nonprofit leaders, and volunteers from across the country come together to connect, collaborate, and build technology for social good.
Who will be there?
ACT member organizations from across the United States, including Code for Philly, CodeSF, and others who organize volunteers in tech and community projects.
People of all backgrounds. Everyone is welcome, including nonprofit and community members from the host city, Orlando.
What to expect
Unconferences. An unconference is a participant-led gathering. Instead of a fixed agenda, attendees suggest topics, form small groups, and shape the conversations together.
Volunteering. Orlando nonprofits, community groups, and civic organizations will be on site to share real tech needs, get help from volunteers, and connect with people who can support their work. This is made possible through a partnership with the Central Florida Foundation and Rally, Orange County, and the City of Orlando’s Social Enterprise Accelerator.
Skill building. Learn practical skills for civic tech and community work, including project planning, volunteer onboarding, data tools, accessibility, AI, design, and building sustainable tech projects, with planned presentations from ACT leaders.
Schedule
ACT Congress 2026: Schedule
Hosted by Florida Community Innovation (FCI) on behalf of the Alliance of Civic Technologists (ACT), a decentralized national network of civic tech volunteer organizations.
Location: The Conduit, 1001 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801 (Ivanhoe District). Free on-site parking.
Virtual attendees: email info@floridainnovation.org for the link.
All times Eastern.
Meals: Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and lunch on Saturday are provided by Mecatos. Saturday dinner is on your own. The conference ends at noon on Sunday.
Friday, October 16: Welcome Gathering (Optional)
7:00 PM | Welcome light bites
Informal kickoff hosted by FCI. Meet other attendees before the conference.
The Greek Corner, 1600 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32804
Saturday, October 17: Day 1 (Formal Agenda)
9:00 AM | Check-in and breakfast
Badge pickup, coffee, and breakfast.
Common Area
9:30 AM | Welcome and opening remarks
Kickoff from ACT and FCI, an overview of the weekend, and an intro to civic tech.
Main Room | Caroline Nickerson, Nicole Dan, and Christopher Whitaker from ACT
10:00 AM | How Code for Boston Selects Projects and Recruits Volunteers
Main Room | Matt Zagaja, Code for Boston
11:00 AM | MuckRock: News and Media for Tech and Social Good
MuckRock is a nonprofit news site that helps journalists, activists, and the public request, track, and share government records.
Main Room
12:00 PM | Lunch and learn: Alzheimer’s citizen science
Eat lunch while playing Stall Catchers, an online citizen science game where players help Alzheimer’s researchers analyze brain blood vessel data. Tutorial by Caroline Nickerson.
Common Area
1:00 PM | Civic tech to help farmers through citizen science
A 30-minute presentation from Indiana students.
Main Room
1:30 PM | Networking break
2:00 PM | Working session: Resource directories and closed loop referrals
A hands-on volunteering session with input from Central Florida Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, and others.
Main Room | Caroline Nickerson and Nicole Dan
3:30 PM | AI Coding Tools in Volunteer Projects
Workshop, demo, and discussion.
Main Room | Matt Zagaja, Code for Boston, with Noel Hidalgo from BetaNYC joining virtually
4:30 PM | Day 1 wrap-up
Recap and preview of the Day 2 unconference.
Main Room
5:00 PM | Day 1 ends
Dinner on your own.
Sunday, October 18: Day 2 (Unconference)
9:00 AM | Breakfast and unconference board
Pitch and post your session ideas on the board.
Common Area
9:30 AM | Virtual presentation: TanitXR
Ines Said presents on TanitXR, a heritage preservation initiative under FCI’s fiscal sponsorship.
Zoom, screened in the Main Room
9:45 AM | Schedule the day
The group votes and slots proposed sessions into the grid.
Main Room
10:00 AM | Unconference sessions
Participant-led conversations and small groups.
Throughout The Conduit
11:00 AM | Virtual presentation: Cybersecurity and policy
Anna Lanzino, a UC Berkeley School of Information graduate who has helped nonprofits strengthen their cybersecurity through the UC Berkeley Cybersecurity Clinic.
Zoom, screened in the Main Room
11:45 AM | Closing and next steps
Reflections, commitments, and goodbyes.
Main Room
12:00 PM | ACT Congress ends
How the Unconference Works
Sunday morning is an unconference, which means the attendees set the agenda. There are no pre-assigned speakers outside of our two virtual presentations. If there’s a topic you want to dig into, a project you want feedback on, or a problem you want help solving, you can propose a session.
In person: During breakfast, write your session idea on a card and post it on the unconference board in the Common Area. At 9:45 AM, we’ll vote as a group and place the most popular ideas into time slots and rooms around The Conduit. Go to whichever sessions interest you, and feel free to move between them.
Virtual: Join and post your session idea in the Zoom chat before 9:45 AM. A facilitator will place you in breakout rooms.
Questions
Call or text Caroline Nickerson at 407-562-7793, or email caroline.nickerson@floridainnovation.org
Frequently asked questions
Is ACT Congress LGBTQ+ inclusive? Yes. ACT Congress is committed to being a welcoming, safe space for LGBTQ+ attendees. Our code of conduct prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, and applies to everyone across both days and the pre-conference gathering. The Conduit has an all-gender restroom on site.
Is there a code of conduct? Yes. ACT Congress is committed to a welcoming, inclusive space for everyone. Our code of conduct prohibits discrimination and harassment and applies to all attendees, speakers, and volunteers across both days and the pre-conference gathering. It will be shared at the beginning of the event.
What is The Conduit (the venue)? The Conduit is a coworking space and community hub in downtown Orlando’s Ivanhoe District, at 1001 N Orange Ave. It has conference rooms, a common area, an art gallery, and free on-site parking. The venue has an all-gender restroom available on site.
Will there be a place to stay? Yes. We have a room block with the DoubleTree Downtown Orlando.
Is there a formal agenda? Day 1 has a formal agenda. Day 2 is an unconference, so there is no designated program, just conversation.
Is there a discount for delegates? Yes. ACT delegates should check their email for a registration code.
Money is a barrier for me, but I still want to come. Can I? Yes! Just email caroline.nickerson@floridainnovation.org and we’ll figure something out.
Get in touch
Connect with your host, Florida Community Innovation.
Phone: +1 (407) 562-7793 Email: info@floridainnovation.org