The Women in Computing Hackathon (WiCHacks) mission is to enhance opportunities for students who identify as women or gender minorities in the tech industry and all students who support them, regardless of gender or sex. WiCHacks values diversity and inclusion as essential to our mission and welcomes anyone in support of moving this mission forward, including those of other genders or sex, to sign up for the hackathon. Hosted by Women in Computing (WiC) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the hackathon is a 24-hour, collaborative programming event in which participants create an app, website, game, or other piece of software throughout the event!

Schedule:

Saturday - March 1st

10:00 AM - Doors open, Check-in begins
12:00 PM - Opening Ceremony begins [Hack Space SHD-4300]

WiC Intro
MLH Intro (5 min)
MLH Demo (3 min)
Keynote Speaker - Dominique Molee (15 min)
WiC - Closing Remarks

12:30 PM - Opening Ceremony Ends
12:30 PM - Q&A with Dominique Molee
12:30 PM - Team Formation Begins
1:00 PM - Hacking Begins
1:00 PM - Lunch is served - Panera Seasonal Salads & Sandwiches
2:00 PM - Tech Talks

2:00 PM - Devpost Workshop w/ COMS- (20 min) [Bower Space 1300]
2:15 PM - Flatlogic Generator Demo- (30 min) [Classroom 3300]
2:40 PM - I&T @ CSL: I&T in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry - (20 min) [Bower Space 1300]
3:15-3:30 - Dick's Sporting Goods- The crUX of the Matter Tech Talk- (15 min) [Classroom 3300]
3:45 PM - Constellation Brands: Digital Meets Reality Tech Talk- (15 min) [Bower Space 1300]
4:00 PM - CSL Symposium - Minute to Win It Battle (30 min) [Atrium]
4:30 PM - Dick’s Sporting Goods WIT Team + MLH Tech Together - Women and Tech Roundtable Talk (30 min) - [Classroom 3300]
5:00 PM - MLH- Github Copilot Workshop (45-60 min) - [Bower 1300]

6:00 PM - Dinner Time - Olive Garden Create your own Pasta Station [Atrium A950]
7:00 PM - Zine-Making with RIT’s Bookbinding Club (60 min) [Bower 1300]
8:00 PM - MLH - Figma Dev Mode Workshop (45-60 min) [Bower 1300]
8:00 PM - Relax and Meditate w/ WiC Events [Classroom 3300]
9:00 PM - Button Making [Bower 1300]
10:00 PM - “Midnight” Snack (Atrium)
11:00 PM - Cup Stack Competition [Bower 1300]

Sunday - March 2nd

8:00 AM - Breakfast - Bakery Bar
9:30 AM - Devpost soft submission deadline
12:00 PM - Lunch time - Chipotle Build your Own
12:00 PM - Hacking ends
1:00 PM - Judging begins
2:30 PM - Judging ends
3:00 PM - Closing Ceremony [Hack Space]

WiC Intro
MLH Representative (5 min)
Category Winners announced.
Grand Prize Giveaway Winner announced
Giveaway Winners announced

3:30 PM - Hackathon is over!

3:30 PM - Prize gathering!

Requirements

What to Build

Anything you would like to! We leave it up to you, with a wide variety of categories for you to submit your project to!

What to Submit

Judging will be in person this year so prepare a 2-3 minute presentation for the judges! Feel free to also submit a 3 minute video explaining your hack and showing it off! This is a great way to link your project on your resume and show it off to recruiters and classmates!

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$525+ in prizes

+ other prizes

WiC: Best Women and Gender Hack

1 winner

Best hack that promotes women and gender minorities.

[PRIZE] Air Fryer and Recipe Book (Max of 4 prizes)

WiC: Best Accessible UI

1 winner

Best UI/UX project with an emphasis on inclusivity/accessibility.

[PRIZE] Lavender Desk Mat and Wireless Mouse (max of 4 prizes)

WiC: Widget's Wonders Hack

1 winner

Hackathons are about enjoying yourself! Best fun, silly project about something you enjoy.

[PRIZE] Squishables Worm/Plush Toy (max of 4 prizes)

WiC: Best Game Hack

1 winner

Best hack with gameplay.

[PRIZE] Woobles Narwhal Kit (max of 4 prizes)

WiC: Best Wellness Hack

1 winner

Best hack that promotes the health and wellness of its users.

[PRIZE] Glass oil diffuser with oil set (max of 4 prizes)

WiC: Failure to Launch

1 winner

Best hack that didn't happen to work out in the end.

[PRIZE] Tri-colored lava lamp (max of 4 prizes)

WiC: Fan Favorite

1 winner

Best hack according to hackers.

[PRIZE] Pawsitive Cafe Voucher for 2 hours (max of 4 prizes)

CSL: Best Public Health Application Focusing on Vaccines or Rare Diseases

$25 in cash

1 winner

This prize recognizes the most innovative and impactful application designed to inform and educate the public about vaccines and rare diseases. Whether through interactive features, user-friendly design, or data-driven insights, the winning project should empower individuals to make informed health decisions and promote awareness about critical immunization and rare disease topics.

[PRIZE] CSL Tech Bag, $25 Gift Card, Rotate & Slide Puzzle (max 4 prizes)

Capital One: Best Financial Hack

$250 in cash

2 winners

How will you reimagine banking?

[PRIZE] $250 gift card from Amazon (max of 4 prizes)

Constellation Brands: Digital Meets Reality

1 winner

Create a digital experience that interacts with the physical world using movement, light, or sound. Here are some examples: an interactive or live-data art installation, a remote-controlled vending machine, remote door lock, and a claw/crane game.

[PRIZE] Fresca Mixed 25L Metal Cooler (so cool!)

Best Use of Gemini API

1 winner

It’s time to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI using Google Gemini. Check out the Gemini API to build AI-powered apps that make your friends say WHOA. So, what can Gemini do for your hackathon project?

Understand language like a human and build a chatbot that gives personalized advice

Analyze info like a supercomputer and create an app that summarizes complex research papers

Generate creative content like code, scripts, music, and more

Think of the possibilities… what will you build with the Google Gemini API this weekend?

Best Use of Midnight

1 winner

Midnight is a data protection blockchain that offers programmable data protection capabilities powered by zero-knowledge technology to address the delicate balance between data protection, ownership, and utilization. This ensures that developers can leverage blockchain technology without exposing confidential information or losing control over their data.

To build on Midnight, all you need is familiarity with TypeScript or a similar JavaScript based library. The service is free to use and their developer documentation has all the information you need to get started. Build a DApp using Midnight this weekend for a chance to win wireless headphones for you and each of your team mates!

Best AI Application Built with Cloudflare

1 winner

Cloudflare is one of the world’s largest networks enabling hackers like you to build, deploy, and deliver trusted applications, no matter where you are! With Cloudflare, you’ll have all the building blocks to create a full-stack application; from C3 (create Cloudflare command line) instance deployment to object storage. You can even run GenAI (LLMs, text to image, Voice to text etc..) in the cloud and leverage your AI functionality via API requests using Cloudlfare’s Workers AI! Enjoy Cloudflare’s generous free tier to get started at no cost! This weekend, we want you to build an AI Application utilizing Cloudflare’s numerous services for a chance to win Arduino Kits for you and your team!

Best Domain Name from GoDaddy Registry

1 winner

GoDaddy Registry is giving you everything you need to be the best hacker no matter where you are. Register your domain name with GoDaddy Registry for a chance to win some amazing prizes!