Instead of posting rules, we have our 10 most F.A.Q listed. We hope this will respond to any questions or concerns you may have regarding the Apps4Kids Hackathon event and the rules of the event.
- What is this event? Hackathons bring together coders, designers, developers and individuals with specialty expertise to intensively collaborate on building novel technology-based applications, such as mobile apps, to address a specific challenge. This Apps4KidsHackathon event is a unique Hackathon focusing on medical care and education apps in collaboration with interested parent groups and professionals. This is a novel approach for improving chronic care in paediatrics and, if successful, may become a transdisciplinary platform for exchange of knowledge and expertise in our university.
- Who should attend?
- Parents, service-providing non-governmental organizations (NGOS) and healthcare professionals – this includes clinicians, therapists, researchers, scientists, and everyone else that deals within the health field and with vulnerable populations. Bring your personal experience and the challenges you want to solve.
- Tech Developers – we need tech experts, programmers, and people who love to code.
- UI/UX and Visual Designers – we need people like you to make everything work intuitively, and create a stellar user experience. Great applications require great design.
- Where is the hackathon taking place? All hacking-related events, including pitching, brainstorming, developing and celebrating, will take place in room 2020/2030 in the Fred Kaiser Building (2332 Main Mall). Breakfast, the Networking Luncheons and the final BBQ will occur in the atrium of the Fred Kaiser Building (main floor) and in the outdoor space in the front. During the focus group week, the various meetings will take place at the locations of the non-governmental organizations and/or health centers; this will be discussed within your hackathon team.
- What time do I need to be there? Please refer to the schedule to see more specific times. In general, the morning events will begin at 9:00am and evening events will begin at 5:00pm.
- Will food be provided? We will be providing breakfast for the Saturday and Sunday (June 13th and 14th, respectively), which will be catered by the Mix bakery. Coffee and light snacks will be provided throughout the day. On Saturday, June 13th and Sunday, June 14th we will be hosting a Networking Luncheon where students will have the opportunity to sit down with the involved mentors and enjoy a light lunch. On Friday, June 19th, we will be hosting our celebratory BBQ: hot dogs and burgers (with a veggie option) will be provided. In addition, UBC campus offers a number of amenities within walking distance, including both food and drinks options. Please feel free to bring snacks and packed meals to keep yourself sustained over the day! Disclaimer: we will not be offering specialty meals for individuals with dietary restrictions.
- What do I need to bring? This is a hands-on, grassroots event. Please bring your laptops (including any software or development environment that might be useful), mobile phones, tablets, but above all, bring your energy and your brain! We will provide tons of power outlets, space to hack and flip pads for brainstorming.
- How do I pitch a project? Project pitches will occur during the Friday ‘Pitches and Brainstorming’ session. Pitches should be presented by the project leader (but can be presented by any knowledgeable team member) and should last for up to two minutes. We will be strict about the time limit. If you prefer, we are offering the option of pre-recording you pitch and presenting it at the event. Pitches should include information about the goal of your project, what you want to see done at the hackathon and what sort of team you are looking for. We do encourage you to use one or two slides to help the attendees understand your vision for you project. If you would prefer to video your pitch, and/or you will be including slides, please contact the clinical coordinator at berger@cw.bc.ca prior to the event. We welcome new concepts based on the interests and specialties of parents/professionals and students! Propose a new app concept, or pitch a prototype that is in progress!
- How will the teams be formed? Teams will be formed around the projects pitched during the ‘Pitches and Brainstorming’ session. Once everybody hears the pitches, people should discuss the projects with the teams and join the groups that seem interesting to them. We encourage teams to join forces and increase their success, e.g. five pitches are contributing to the Down syndrome Medical Care App! Participants can start forming teams before the event; our registration page: https://hackathon-workshop.eventbrite.ca does offer the option to join as a team. If you are looking for a team to join, be sure to attend the Friday evening session.
- Who owns my project and intellectual property? Your participation in this event confirms that you are in agreement with our terms regarding project ownership and intellectual property of apps or materials developed during the hackathon. If you are working as a team, your team is responsible for dividing/sharing the ownership among the team members. If you are working as a team that collaborates with an NGO, the ownership and intellectual property rights will belong to the NGO. The event hosts and administrators will not be responsible for any disputes amongst members of a team, including intellectual property ownership issues.
- Will there be prizes? Yes, lots of prizes! On Friday, June 19th, teams will present their projects in five minute long presentations (we encourage the use of slides) during which the projects will be judged and awarded accordingly. The Canadian FASD-Research Network, TELUS and the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, Children’s Sleep Network and NeuroDevNet, as well as two Teaching and Learning Enhancement Funds (TLEF) projects are offering thousands of dollars of cash prizes. These prizes will go to individual participants and teams based on their input in existing apps/program/hardware or new app-development!
