About the challenge

We are excited to introduce you all to the first summer Hackathon hosted by MESA at CSUEB. We encourage students from all the schools that we serve to participate in this event. Students can connect with other students and professionals, and enjoy building a project that could win cool prizes and more!

You do not need to be an expert programmer to participate in this hackathon, everyone is welcome! Students attending will receive a participation certificate and are encouraged to show off on their resumes and college apps.

Winning projects may be considered for an opportunity to collaborate with the MESA team for the launch of their project. You must be registered at the link above and join our Discord channel for full eligibility!

The prompt of the hackathon will be given at the Hackathon's kickoff. 

This hackathon will help you develop your software development, business management, and presentation skills. Make sure to take advantage of our discord to meet fellow students and network with mentors - so keep building your network.

On June 3rd, you will receive the prompt describing the problem you will be solving, an application prototype solution is recommended. On June 5th, teams will be submitting their presentation and prototype.

Agenda

Friday June 3rd:
  • 4:00 - 4:30 PM PDT - Discord: Hackathon Kickoff
    • Learn the Hackathon prompt and how to make the most out of the event followed by a Q&A.
  • 6:00 PM PDT Deadline - Team Formation and Proposal Submission
    • Discord & Devpost: Team Building
    • Discord & Devpost: Proposal Submission
      • A single team member must send a Discord message to @MESADirector, here is an example: Our team consists of 3 members including the following: Andrew (CEO), Alex (Position 2), Briya (Position 3). Our proposal is to identify ____ using a Mobile Application solution. @MESADirector
Saturday June 4th:
  • Mentor Sessions 
    • Head to the #ask-mentors Discord channel to find mentors to speak with on Saturday, you can set up a time slot based on their availability. The goal of these conversations would be to practice your presentation and receive their feedback, recommendations, and advice on your solution. 
Sunday June 5th:
  • 4:00 PM PDT : Devpost: Hackathon Deadline: Teams must make their submissions on Devpost by this deadline!
  • 4:00 - 6:00 PM PDT: Discord: Social Hour & Voting: Vote for your favorite projects on Devpost by 5:30pm and connect with fellow hackers using the #hackathon-mixer on Discord while the judges deliberate. Make sure to connect and share your info with everyone you've met!
  • 6:00 PM PDT: Discord: Closing Ceremony: Join us as we announce the winners and wrap up the event :)

Requirements

What to Submit

  • We are only looking for a prototype, it may be working or not working (a mock-up where you layout how your solution would work), and can come in virtually any format.

  • Submissions must include include a video of a presentation (either a file or link to YouTube; not more than 5-minutes in length).

  • Submissions should explain: what part(s) of the problem are you solving and why do you think your prototype will work in solving that?

Eligibility:

  • You must form a team with 2 to 5 students.
  • You must join this hackathon and join our Discord channel for full eligibility!
  • Participants must be from one of the following schools: Antioch High School, Antioch Middle School, Black Diamond Middle School, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Dallas Ranch Middle School, De Anza High School, Deer Valley High School, Dozier-Libbey High School, G.M. Walters Middle School, Hercules High School, Hillview Junior High, John F. Kennedy High School, Middle College High School, MLK Junior High, Orchard Park School, Pinole Valley High School, Tennyson High School, Vista High School
  • We recommend a mix of talents and roles for students on the team.
  • Submissions must be made on Devpost by the stated deadline.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$700 in prizes
First Place
1 winner

The project deemed to win by our judges.

Second Place
1 winner

The project deemed runner-up by our judges.

People's Choice
1 winner

The project with the most votes from participants will win MESA Swag!

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Janiene M. Langford

Janiene M. Langford
Director of CSU East Bay's MESA College Prep Program

Sarah Marium

Sarah Marium

Dolu O. Odumosu

Dolu O. Odumosu

Judging Criteria

  • Creative
    How much does this demonstrate creative, out-of-the-box thinking by the participants?
  • Execution
    How well did the participants execute on their creation of the prototype given difficulty level?
  • Presentation
    How compelling of a story did the presentation tell?
  • Social Impact
    What kind of a difference would this project make in the lives of individuals?
  • Business Plan
    How well did the participants develop a periodic execution plan for the project? Should include Key Performance Indicators

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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