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An official website of the United States government

We're transforming cross-sector collaboration

We bring together government, industry, and communities to unleash creativity and solve national challenges.

Our Mission

CIVIC IMPACT BY THE PEOPLE

Our mission is to source knowledge and solutions to solve key challenges for the Census Bureau and the public at large through user-centered design, data, creative media, and technology.

Seated women discussing ideas at a user engagement workshop hosted by The Opportunity Project

Census Open Innovation Labs (COIL) is a nimble, startup-like team within the U.S. Census Bureau with a portfolio of initiatives that are setting a standard for open innovation across government.

We leverage the networks, talents, and expertise of companies, organizations and individuals outside our own walls and encourage disparate groups to innovate together.

Our team is comprised of diverse backgrounds and skillsets. Our unique breadth of expertise allows us to engage effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders.

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    Human-Centered Design

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    Open Data Advocacy

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    Community Engagement

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    Design and Technology

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    Innovation

Screenshot of the City Builder website showing the occupancy rate of a selected region

The Opportunity Project

We bring together tech companies, non-profit community groups, and federal agencies to build tools that advance economic opportunity using federal open data.

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Census Accelerate

We mobilize the creative community and partner with influential stars to spread awareness about the importance of the 2020 Census and combat mis- and dis-information.

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Screenshot of the SILLE tool showing a satellite map of Poland with interactive features
Mockup of the PRADOS (Puerto Rican Address Database Operations Support) tool on an iPad

Civic Digital Fellowship

We facilitate the U.S. Census Bureau’s participation in this first-of-its-kind internship program that empowers computer science, data science, and design students to create social good by breaking down the barriers to entry in social impact spaces.

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Human-centered Design Training

We teach human-centered design fundamentals to leaders at the U.S. Census Bureau to introduce new problem solving methods and methods for collaboration.

Screenshot of the SILLE tool showing a satellite map of Poland with interactive features

Contact Us

For questions about our programs or inquiries about partnerships, please reach out to: