2019 Challenge

The Challenge

Theme: Student Well-being

Schools are the places where students get educated, find friends, and enjoy their social lives. But schools are also places where students can suffer physical or mental problems. Smoking, vaping, and in some places harder drugs, have become epidemic in high schools, as declared by the U.S. Surgeon General in December 2018. Anxiety and depression caused by peer pressure, parent pressure, and self pressure are more common now than a decade ago. Suicide rates have risen along with them. The state of prominent issues like bullying and violence continues to deteriorate. In extreme scenarios, students have lost their precious young lives to gun violence.
Each Hackathon participant should reflect on his or her own experience and choose the problem they would like to solve passionately. Examples of questions that technology (including Apps, Mobile phones, Maps, Messaging, IoT devices, Social Networks, VR, etc) can help to tackle include, but are not limited to:

How do we educate students and parents about the harms of vaping and drugs, and prevent them from becoming addicted for life?
How can we detect and report the use or dealing of vaping and drugs in schools?
With so much pressure from class work, grades, their peers and parents, how can we help students manage anxiety? How do we educate teachers and parents so they can detect and help sooner?
Bullying can happen on campus or on social networks. It's a huge safety concern. How to educate on, detect, and report bullying so it is stopped at the earliest possible moment?
How to detect early signs of suicidal behavior in students and help avoid the tragedy?
Depressed students bring safety concerns to schools. How to detect signs of violent intention and report it to prevent it from happening?
Emergency preparedness: how to prepare and respond to disasters (natural or man-made), and help each other in the situation?

Rules

Eligibility

You must be in high school or above, and registered, to participate in the event. This event is open to all Bay Area, not limited to San Ramon citizens.
Employees of San Ramon City, Sponsors, and Organizers may participate in the event but are not eligible for prize money.

Entries

Entries must be apps or concepts that clearly benefit the communities and solve the challenges presented.
App entries may use any publicly available interfaces and devices – mobile, web, PC, SMS, wearable devices, IoT devices, VR, Social Networks, or any software platform broadly available to the public.
Concept entries should have clear vision and intent, and how they would be achieved technologically.
Entries must not be indecent, defamatory, in obvious bad taste, demonstrate a lack of respect for public morals or conduct or adversely affect the reputation of the county or sponsors. Any determination made by the judges under this paragraph is wholly within their discretion and will be final.

Teams

Teams can be formed before the event, or at the beginning of the event. Each team can have up to 5 team members.
Each participating team will have the same amount of time as all of the other competing teams to present to the judges their app/concept during presentation period at the end of the day.

Judging

Judging criteria is here. Wholly within their discretion, the judges' determination will be final and not open to appeal.

Publicity and Intellectual Property

Except where prohibited, participation in the Competition constitutes participants’ consent to Organizers’ and their agents’ use of participants’ name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions and/or hometown and state for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.
All entries will be available for others to use. Any original content (that is, content created by teams for the San Ramon Hackathon) is freely available without restriction or is licensed under the Apache Open Source License 2.0.

Have fun

This rule is strictly enforced.

Frequent Asked Questions

What do I have to bring?

Bring your laptop, extension cord, and any other materials you need to code or develop your new concepts, and build a presentation. Most importantly, bring your innovative mind, talent, passion, team work, and community spirit!

Is there food?

There is food provided in the morning, a light continental breakfast. Lunch will also be provided with vegetarian options.

Is there a restriction on the number of people who are able to attend?

Yes, the limit is 150 seats for this event.

Do I have to be a San Ramon resident?

No, everyone is welcome. Just register to attend.

San Ramon Hackathon 2019