Calling all students age 13-20, adult designers, programmers and other
problem-solvers looking for a challenge!

Bring your ideas and join Prince,

#YesWeCode and Qeyno Labs July 3 - 6th at the Essence Festival.

Our focus is to provide an encouraging and electrifying environment where everyone works together to build greats apps centered around education, environmental sustainability, restorative justice, music/entertainment and health/wellness.

At the end of #YesWeCode Hackathon, participants will walk away with a sense of accomplishment, inspired by experiencing what is possible when brilliant people get together to solve problems.

Wait, what is a hackathon?

Hackathons gather together technologists (coders), artist (designers), problem solvers (innovators) and industry/area experts (students, teachers, parents, activist, community leaders, YOU) to build a web or mobile app that can change the world, create a business, or both!

Hmmm, what if I don't know how to code?

While we're calling it a hackathon, we're explicitly welcoming everyone, regardless of their skill or talent. At our hackathon, we are combining professionals, mentors and youth to collaborate on building technological tools that can transform their hoods.

What's the focus?

The focus will be on the following tracks:

• Education | The education track focuses on issues related to achievement of people of diverse ethnicities and economic backgrounds and can include topics related to college readiness, access, completion and career guidance.
• Environmental Sustainability | The sustainability track challenges participants to create an app or design solutions that preserves our environment and encourages personal practices such as recycling, resource sharing, garment collection and redistribution, energy efficiency, and water conservation.
• Restorative Justice | Restorative justice seeks solutions related to preventing the criminalization of economically disadvantaged people, and strategies that empower ex-offenders to transition from the prison wall to successful members of the community, and provide valuable intervention resources to high school or college dropouts.
• Music & Entertainment |
• Health & Wellness | The health track focuses on issues related to the public health of people of diverse ethnicities and economic backgrounds such as improving wellness, increasing diversity in the medical profession.

What's the schedule like?

Each participant will commit four (4) days to the hackathon. Here is what our days will look like:

• Day One: Thursday, July 3rd, 2014
• 3:00pm - Doors Open & Registration Starts
• 5:00pm - Open Pitching (Youth and adults are both welcome to pitch their app ideas for the hackathon)
• 6:00pm - Teams start forming and discussing ideas
• 8:00 pm - Wrap Up (Teams can continue to work at dorms)

• Day Two: Friday, July 4th, 2014
• 7:00am - Breakfast
• 9:00am - Team Check-in
• 12:00pm - Team Check-in
• 8:00 pm - Wrap Up (Teams can continue to work at dorms)

• Day Three: Saturday, July 5th, 2014
• 7:00am - Breakfast
• 9:00am - Team Check-in
• 12:00pm - Team Check-in
• 8:00 pm - Wrap Up (Teams can continue to work at dorms)

• Day Four: Sunday, July 6th, 2014
• 7:00am - Breakfast
• 9:00am - Team Check-in
• 12:00pm - Final Team Check-in
• 1:00pm - Wrap Up
• 2:00pm - Final Pitches
• 3:30pm - Judge announce winners
• 4:00pm - Rites of Passage Ceremony

How can I sign up to mentor?

Mentor youth passionate about solving some of the most difficult problems facing our society. Share your knowledge on best practices, designs, ideation and other topics that can help them with their ideas.

All mentors will be screened before being selected. Please fill out the following survey form: http://bit.ly/MentorYWCHack

How can I sign up to volunteer?

Thank you for your interest in joining our team. Volunteers will help behind the scenes of the hackathon.

We appreciate your help as we put on a successful and high impact hackathon. Please fill out the following survey form: http://bit.ly/VolunteerYWCHack

Please note that we will not cover travel or lodging expense for the event. If you are a volunteer or mentor who is not local to New Orleans, you will need to make your own travel arrangements as well.

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Sponsored by:

Big Thanks to Our Community Partners: