WOMEN’S HACKATHON OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES

These are the Official Rules that govern how the Women’s Hackathon operates (the "Contest"). In these rules, "we," "our," and "us" refer to the Women’s Hackathon. “You” and “Yourself” refer to an eligible entrant.

OVERVIEW

The Contest is designed to recognize the best software application (“Contest App”) built with tools and technology that is designed to meet the challenge requirements. 

Presentation

Depending on the number of teams at the event, each team will have 3 - 5 minutes to present their project to a panel of judges. Please upload your presentation materials, which should depict the functionality of the Contest App and provide an opportunity for your Team to reiterate what you are trying to achieve and why it’s great, as well as to demonstrate some of the key features and introduce yourselves.  

GENERAL STANDARDS FOR ENTRIES

The intent and spirit of the Contest is to test the skills and creativity of the student entrants.  In addition to the content and technical requirements listed earlier, to be eligible for judging, all Entries must meet the following general standards:  

  • All Entry materials must be presented and/or submitted in the English language.
  • The content of your Entry and any supporting materials must be acceptable for all viewing audiences. We will automatically disqualify any entrant that submits any Entry or supporting materials that contain text, sound or images that we, in our sole opinion and for any reason, find vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate for public viewing, or that presents us in a negative light.

By submitting an entry in this Contest, you confirm that, to the best of your knowledge:

  • Your Entry meets the requirements set forth above; and
  • The entirety of the entry is your/your team’s original work; including but not limited to, the actual filming, editing, graphic design, etc. of the video.
  • You/your teams have obtained any and all consents, approvals, or licenses required for you to submit your Entry.

Important note about copyright: Your team’s entire Entry must only include material (including source code—both open source and third party sourced, user interface, music, video or images) that you own or that you have permission from the copyright/trademark owner to use. Your team’s Entry may not include copyrighted materials (such as source code, user interface, background music, images or video) unless you own or have permission to use the materials. Ownership is not defined as purchasing a CD at a music store for replay, playing a copyright recording on your guitar or repurposing an application’s user interface - your team’s entry will be disqualified if copyrighted materials, including but not limited to these examples, are a part of your Entry without appropriate licensing or permissions. If you do use permissible copyrighted materials, you must include the permissions information by citing the artist/creator and license information as per the respective Contest Rules. Note that even material released under sites such as Creative Commons, common open source code licenses, and other similar licensing may need permission or acknowledgement as per the specific license. Note: your team’s Entry will be disqualified if permissions information is not included as per the requirements in the specific Contest Rules.  

Important note about hardware: This Challenge does not accept projects that require hardware other than standard consumer hardware commonly used for our list of valid platforms such as Windows/Apple/Linux PCs, Andorid/iOS Phones/tablets, Kinect/Playstation/Ninetedo consoles, etc. If you are considering a project that requires custom hardware such as heart rate monitors, pedometers, or other devices, such projects are not eligible for this Challenge due to the difficulties in acquiring custom hardware to the sponsoring non-profit organizations.

Important note about connectivity/authentication requirements: If your project incorporates some form of remote connectivity requiring authentication that our judges cannot perform then you should attempt to simulate as much of your functionality as is reasonable to enable the judges to evaluate your software. You should also describe any simulations and omissions in your submission so the judges understand and can evaluate accordingly.

We reserve the right to disqualify or reject any Entry that we, in our sole and absolute discretion, determine does not meet the above criteria. If we do not receive a sufficient number of Entries meeting the entry requirements, we may, at our discretion, select fewer than the designated number of winners. The decisions of the judges are final and binding in all matters related to the Challenge.

HOW WILL ENTRIES BE JUDGED?

Each entry will be judged by four judges who will  will assign a score of 1–10 for each of the following categories.

Metric Guidelines
Appropriateness to Theme
Does the prototype appropriately address the theme?		 0 2 5 7 10
==> Not relevant. Acknowledges the challenge Makes an effort to address the challenge The application addresses some parts of the theme, however additional areas should be included. Fully addresses the challenge and takes other factors or information into account.
User Experience & Functionality
Is the UI intuitive and easy to use?		 0 2 5 7 10
==> Not really intuitive or clear. Sloppy The UI was not clear even after an explanation from the group. The UI was easy to use once it was explained. Most of the UI is intuitive and usable except for a few awkward design. The UI is intuitive, usable and clear.
Originality & Impact
Does the prototype address the problem they identified?		 0 2 5 7 10
==> Does not solve problem, no market differentiation. Minimally solves problem. Impacts few people. Solves problem. Useful for many people. Innovative concept. Impacts large number of people. Innovative solution. Large scale impact.
Technical Difficulty #1
Is the prototype functional		 0 2 5 7 10
==> The prototype is not functional. Only a few features of the prototype are functional. There're more functional features than not. Mostly functional, except for a few minor issues The prototype is fully functional.
Technical Difficulty #2
Does the application support dynamic response to users?		 0 2 5 7 10
==> The application does not interact with other resources. The prototype contains only static information. Transition from one section to another is manual. The prototype supports dynamic transition from one collection of static information to another. Mostly, but there are places where the prototype could have used additional resources to generate dynamic response for users. The prototype uses multiple resources to generate responses for users and does so effectively

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?  

All participants will receive a certificate of participation. The winning team will be recognized in the following ways:

  • Each member of the grand winning team will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card.
  • Each member of the category winning team will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

PRIZE CONDITIONS

Your odds of winning a prize will depend on the number of eligible Entries received and the level of skill of each entrant.  

If you are confirmed as a winner:  

  • You may not exchange prizes for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and
  • You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we may award it to the next highest scoring Team/entrant; and
  • If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and
  • If you are otherwise eligible, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, then we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf; and
  • Unless otherwise noted, all prizes are subject to their manufacturer’s warranty and/or terms and conditions; and
  • We are not responsible for any dispute regarding prize dispersal.            

HOW WILL MY ENTRY POTENTIALLY BE USED?

Other than what is set forth below, we are not claiming any ownership rights to your entry. However, by submitting your Entry, you:   

  • Are granting us an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to: (i) use, review, assess, test, and otherwise analyze your Entry and all its content in connection with this Contest; and (ii) feature your Entry and all its content in connection with the marketing, sale, or promotion of this Contest (including but not limited to internal and external presentations, tradeshows, and screen shots of the Contest Entry process in press releases) in all media (now known or later developed);
  • Agree to sign any necessary documentation that may be required for us and our designees to make use of the rights you granted above;
  • Agree to assist us and the Sponsors in the creation of case studies or white papers (together "Studies") detailing your Entry or entries. Studies will not include any confidential participant information. Upon your approval of the Studies’ accuracy, you agree to give us and the Sponsors permission to display the Studies including trademarks, logos, and other identifying information contained therein, on our and the Sponsors websites and in other documentation. This documentation may take various forms, including printed materials, online articles, video, audio, and other digital recordings;
  • Understand and acknowledge that the Sponsor may have developed or commissioned materials similar or identical to your submission and you waive any claims you may have resulting from any similarities to your Entry;
  • Understand that we cannot control the incoming information you will disclose to our representatives in the course of entering, or what our representatives will remember about your Entry. You also understand that we will not restrict work assignments of representatives who have had access to your Entry. By entering this Contest, you agree that use of information in our representatives unaided memories in the development or deployment of our products or services does not create liability for us under this agreement or copyright or trade secret law;
  • Understand that you will not receive any compensation or credit for use of your Entry, other than what is described in these Official Rules.

Please note that following the end of this Contest your Entry may be posted on a website selected by us for viewing by visitors to that website. We are not responsible for any unauthorized use of your Entry by visitors to this website.  

While we reserve these rights, we are not obligated to use your Entry for any purpose, even if it has been selected as a winning Entry.  

If you do not want to grant us these rights to your Entry, please do not enter this Contest.  

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE WAY THIS CONTEST IS EXECUTED AND ADMINISTERED? 

This Contest will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Contest.  

WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE CONTEST CAN'T RUN AS IT WAS PLANNED?

If someone cheats, or a virus, bug, bot, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and/or integrity of this Contest, we reserve the right to cancel, change, or suspend this Contest. This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Contest, we reserve the right to select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change or suspend the Contest.  

If you or your Team attempts to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Contest, or if we have reason to believe that you or your Team have compromised the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Contest by cheating, hacking, creating a bot or other automated program, or by committing fraud in any way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may disqualify you, and ban you from participating in any of our future Contests, so please play fairly.