Coding4TX's Hackathon @ Galvanize brings students together to work with tech mentors and compete for the prizes listed on the site. All attendees will also get C/I SWAG and free food all day long from 9am - 5pm!

Our event schedule is below -- please listen carefully for announcements that pertain to your team and for opportunities to attend workshops: 

8:00am - 8:30am: Judge Check-In + Info Session

8:30am - 9am: Check-In 

9:00am - 9:30am: Project Brief and Initial Team Meeting  

9:30am-10am: Hackathon Kickoff Celebration + Explanation of Project and Deliverables

10am - 10:30am: Ideation Presentation and Student Brainstorm

10:30am-11:00am: Wireframing 101, Basic Website Creation with HTML/CSS

11:00am- 12:30pm: Work Time 

12:30pm - 1pm: Lunch and Work Time 

1pm - 2:30pm: Work Time 

2:30pm-2:45: Final Project Submissions

2:45- 3:15: Pitch Practice

3:15pm - 4:00pm: Student Product Pitches to Judges

4:00pm-4:15pm: Clean Up while Judges Deliberate

4:15pm-5:00pm: Award Ceremony with Prizes presented by Mayor Steve Adler! 

All hackers who are chosen by their teachers to attend the hackathon will work with mentors all day long to build a tech products that solve a problem in education.  

Step 1: Identify the Problem: The problem that you choose to solve can be any problem that affects your life and education in any way, including teaching, communicating, learning inside or outside a classroom, factors affecting your home or school environment, issues with friends, or any other problem that you can think of.  Think about problems that affect all age groups, from Pre-K to College.

Step 2: Brainstorm Solutions: Think of tech solutions that you can implement for the problem that you identify.  This can include a new tech product, app, or a modification or addition to an existing tech product.  Think about all of the factors surrounding your problem that are NOT currently addressed using technology and brainstorm how to add technology to that part of your education.

Step 3: Research: Make sure that your idea is original and feasible by researching other technologies and apps that already exist.  If your idea already exists, maybe you can make it better or add an extra feature, or you might need to go back to brainstorming to think of another solution.

Step 4: Validation: Validate your problem by asking students at the hackathon if they experience that problem.  If no one experiences that problem, perhaps you're not solving the right thing!  Validate your solution by asking students at the hackathon if they would use that product.  Be prepared to present this information in your final pitch -- for example "We surveyed 40 students and over 60% said that this was a problem they experienced.  Over 70% said that they would use our solution."

Step 5: Details and Features: What special features will your product have?  How will your users interact with your product?  Answer all of the questions provided in your product submission and do research as you go.  While thinking about your product, evaluate your idea and answer the following questions:

• Will people use your app?
• Would you use your app?
• Is there a better solution?
• Is there a better way to phrase your solution?
• Is your solution too simple (or complex)?

Step 6: Wireframes / Sketches and Websites: You will present at least three wireframes or product sketches on the website that you present at the end of the day.  Deliverables and details are below:

• Written Descriptions: The most valuable part of your submission is a detailed description of your tech product that answers all of the questions presented to you by DevPost about your product.  Please take a lot of time crafting your answers because these will be reviewed in detail by the judges.
• Wireframes or Sketches: Each group must produce, either digitally or by hand, at least three wireframes or sketches of their app or product to show the judges what their tech solution might look like.  Take pictures of your wireframes / sketches (if hand drawn) or take screenshots and put these images on your website.
• Website: Each group must produce one website using www.neocities.org, scratch.mit.edu or another hosting site to showcase their problem, solution, and the pictures of their wireframes or sketches.  This website link should be included in the final submission of each group's project.

Step 7: Refine and Improve: Keep improving your product until final submission at 2:30pm!

Step 8: Pitch Practice: Practice what you are going to say in front of the judges!  You only get 2 minutes to present, so you have to make a good impression and stand out!

• Best Overall (HS Prize)
  Does the product offer a solution to combating an issue that is negatively impacting our students and their peers? Was the pitch effective? Is the idea original and unique?
• Pitch (HS Prize)
  How well did the team present their project? Was the idea well communicated? Were the visuals engaging and appropriate? Did the team share presentation responsibilities? Was there a hook to build audience interest?
• Creative Solution (HS Prize)
  Did you choose to focus on a major social issue related to bias? Does your tech product have the potential to solve it? Is the idea original & unique, or a just a copy of something that already exists?
• Best Overall (MS Prize)
  Does the product offer a solution to combating an issue that is negatively impacting our students and their peers? Was the pitch effective? Is the idea original and unique?
• Pitch (MS Prize)
  How well did the team present their project? Was the idea well communicated? Were the visuals engaging and appropriate? Did the team share presentation responsibilities? Was there a hook to build audience interest?
• Creative Solution (MS Prize)
  Did you choose to focus on a major social issue related to bias? Does your tech product have the potential to solve it? Is the idea original & unique, or a just a copy of something that already exists?