Join us for &Hacks, William & Mary's annual hackathon, happening from October 4th to 6th! This year's event will focus on building tech skills to solve real problems in a wide range of areas! &hacks offers a unique opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and create projects that matter. If you're not sure you're ready to compete, &hacks is full of back-to-back workshops on useful tech topics to build your skills, as well as fun activities as a break from hacking. Registration is now open, so secure your spot today and be part of an unforgettable weekend of coding, creativity, and networking! Come build something worth being proud of! Learn more and register at https://andhacks.cs.wm.edu
View the real-time event schedule in the Day-Of Document at https://andhacks.notion.site/. If there is a discrepancy between Devpost and the Day-Of Document, trust the Day-Of Document.
Requirements
What to Build
TribeHacks IX celebrates all projects created or improved during the hackathon using technology. Browse our prize section below to see the prizes you'll be automatically considered for and the ones you can opt into.
What to Submit
There are 3 important steps to submitting your hack:
- Pre-submit your hack by 10 PM on Sunday, October 5th. This means creating an empty DevPost submission with your project name and group member names so we can plan for judging.
- Ensure your hack is submitted for judging by 9 AM on Sunday, October 6th. Ensure that all submission boxes are filled.
- Arrive at Read & Relax (Swem Library) by 9:45 AM. Judging will begin at 10 AM. Prepare a live demo of up to 4 minutes that you'll give to a few judges.
Prizes
Best Overall (Grand Prize)
The highest scoring hack for the whole hackathon!
Overall Runner Up (Gold Prize)
The second highest scoring hack for the whole hackathon.
Ampersand Award (Gold Prize)
The hack that best combines technical skills with non-technical knowledge. This challenge celebrates hackers as multifaceted people!
Ampersand Award Runner Up (Silver Prize)
The second hack that best combines technical skills with non-technical knowledge. This challenge celebrates hackers as multifaceted people!
Best Environmental & Sustainability Hack (Silver Prize)
Best hack that tackles an environmental problem or empowers people and nature to exist in harmony into the future!
Best Use of Workshop Content (Bronze Prize)
We have a full schedule of workshops this weekend, including some very informative intro ones! Submissions will be required to explain how they synthesized and implemented workshop content into their project, and which workshop(s) influenced their project.
Best Finance & Economics Hack (Silver Prize)
Best hack that solves a problem in finance or empowers people to use resources efficiently!
Best Accessibility & Belonging Hack (Silver Prize)
Most innovative hack that centers on accessibility and aims to improve the lives of marginalized communities. Sponsored by Accenture Federal Services!
Best Data & Maps Hack (Silver Prize)
Best hack that creates or uses a large dataset or map! Don’t know how to use GIS tools? Check out SCGIS’ Web-based GIS Tools Workshop on Friday!
Best Fun & Games Hack (Silver Prize)
Best hack that’s fun and interactive! Don’t know how to make a game? Go to Game Design Club’s Intro to Game Design Workshop on Friday!
Best Hardware & Physical Hack (GAR Monster Starter Kit for the team)
Did you know we have a hardware table? With everything from breadboards to Roombas? Hacks that use hardware (other than a computer) or hardware emulators are eligible for this category!
Best Learning & Education Hack (Silver Prize)
Best hack that solves a problem in education or facilitates lifelong learning!
Best Health & Wellness Hack (Silver Prize)
Best hack that solves a problem related to one of the many aspects of wellness, including physical and mental!
Best Art & Expression Hack (Silver Prize)
Best hack that integrates the arts (i.e., music, visual, etc.) or a comment on the human condition with technology!
Best Beginners & New Hackers Hack (Silver Prize)
Our hackathon is meant to be accessible to all skill levels. This category is for hacks from teams that identify as “beginners”. Submissions will be required to explain why the team is a beginner team.
Best Use of Mentor Feedback (Bronze Prize)
Our mentors are here to help! If you are having trouble deciding on the direction of your project, or need other guidance, talk to our mentors! Submissions for this category will be required to explain how mentor feedback helped them, and which mentor they spoke to.
IIC: Wildlife Identification from Camera Trap Photos (IIC Swag)
Sofia Politte is collaborating with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to address wildlife-vehicle collisions in Northern Virginia. After collecting nearly 50,000 camera trap photos this summer, she needs assistance in streamlining wildlife identification. She is looking for help from an &hacks 10 team to manage this task.
IIC: Roadkill Sightings App (IIC Swag)
Understanding where wildlife-vehicle collisions occur is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies. Sofia Politte is working with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to design a citizen science strategy. She would like an &hacks 10 team to help create an app for drivers to safely report roadkill sightings in Northern Virginia. Click here for more information.
IIC: Bird-Window Collision Mitigation App (IIC Swag)
In collaboration with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Dr. John Swaddle and three W&M students are researching ways to support communities to mitigate bird-window collisions in their homes and workplaces through the development of an app. We have a full wireframe of the app and the relevant information on bird ecology and mitigation strategies. We invite an &Hacks 10 team to help us translate this information into an easy-to-use app. See the day-of doc for more information.
IIC: Digitization of Shorelines in Virginia State Parks (IIC Swag)
Lucas Theobald is working with Virginia State Parks to analyze how shorelines in their parks have changed over time. He seeks support from an &Hacks 10 team to streamline the digitization of imagery for the remaining state parks. This initiative will assist Virginia State Parks in mitigating shoreline erosion due to environmental changes. See the day-of doc for more information.
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Md Robiul Islam
Nishat Sultana
Andrew Pierce
Sally Schaffner
Paco Hope
Dan Jelf
David Lahneman
Warren Leister
Ron Smith
Judging Criteria
-
Quality (1-10)
This category encompasses the quality of the final hack AND the process to get there. Is the product user-friendly? Did they follow a logical design process? How did they handle challenges? Does the approach make sense? -
Significance (1-10)
What is the value of the hack in the real world? Is it important and needed in the communities it is designed to serve? -
Creativity (1-10)
Did the team take risks? Did they come up with a new and ingenious solution? Did they use a certain technology in an inventive way? -
Relevance (1-10, opt-in prizes)
This hack self-identifies as a ________ hack. Please rate the project's relevance to the category. -
Technical Knowledge (1-10, Ampersand Award)
Does the team understand how their project works? Does the project handle errors or unexpected situations effectively? Does the project work with external systems or tools? Are the project's features impressive? -
Non-Technical Knowledge (1-10, Ampersand Award)
How well does the project address challenges or problems specific to a particular field of knowledge or group of people? Does the team show a clear understanding of the project's context? -
Beginner Hacks
Beginner hacks are evaluated based on their overall score, but only for teams that self-identify as beginners, and >50% of judges must agree. -
Use of Workshop Content (1-10, opt-in)
Ask the team to tell you about a piece of feedback from an &hacks mentor that they then incorporated into their project. -
Use of Mentor Feedback (1-10, opt-in)
Ask the team to tell you about a piece of content from an &hacks workshop that they then incorporated into their project.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
Tell your friends
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
