Training
The latest series of DC Open Government Coalition trainings on how to gain access to DC government information begins in May 2023:
Have questions about how to get records from the D.C. government? Getting into public meetings you thought were supposed to be open?
Join the D.C. Open Government Coalition, a group of volunteer watchdogs, for “Digging into D.C.,” a series of community conversations on finding D.C. government information via records and meetings.
In collaboration with the D.C. Public Library, the Coalition will again be offering tips about obtaining information from our city government, and how to keep at it through delay or complications.
The first 2023 session will be on any topics that may be of interest (education, health, police, etc.) but all will focus on two key sources: public documents and meetings. Expert speakers will offer tips such as:
- Finding the right place to submit records requests (or meetings to attend),
- Submitting a request in a way that gets a useful response the first time,
- What to do about delays, denials, and fees.
Staff from the D.C. Office of Open Government will be there to explain their work that may assist in your quest.
Independent experts knowledgeable in open government will be on hand to discuss individual questions.
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, Room 401-E
“Digging into D.C.” sessions are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
E-mail info@dcogc.org for more information. (See the video here for an earlier Zoom event in the series.)
The sessions move to branch libraries later in the year:
Ward 2
When: Wednesday, July 12, 2023 — 6 p.m.
Where: Watha T. Daniel Neighborhood Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW, Room 1 (focus on digging into DCPS and public charter schools’ information)
Ward 8
When: Saturday, September 30, 2023 — 11 a.m.
Where: Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE, Ora Glover Meeting Room (focus on digging into police information)
Recordings of our previous training sessions can be found below:
Session One: Digging into DC Public Schools
The D.C. Open Government Coalition’s kickoff session for Digging into DC, open government training for the community, was held on July 20, 2021. Here are our slides and tip sheet of the event. Questions? Email DiggingintoDC@gmail.com.
Session Two: Digging into DC’s Metropolitan Police Department
The D.C. Open Government Coalition’s second session in the community training program, Digging into D.C., held on Oct. 12, 2021 discussed challenges getting information from the city’s police department. Here are our slides and tip sheet Questions? Email DiggingintoDC@gmail.com.
