What is a hackathon?
- A hackathon is a marathon design event centered around solving a problem. Traditionally, hackathons involve computer scientists and engineers who are there to “hack” software related solutions. Participants work rapidly in the span of 24 hours or a weekend in order for team members to collaborate on a project.
What differentiates GreenHacks from other Hackathons?
- GreenHacks differentiates itself with its unique interdisciplinary approach. Rather than attracting solely individuals with technical-oriented skills, we encourage people of different backgrounds to participate. This involves economists, public health experts, sustainability minded people, biologists, engineers, and much more! Furthermore, GreenHacks has its projects centered around sustainability based issues, with resulting solutions making both the planet and communities a better place.
What is GreenHacks’ Mission?
- GreenHacks seeks to offer a platform for competitive ideation and creativity to spark innovative and sustainable solution design. Through the hackathon format, we bring together forward-looking students, JHU faculty members, sustainability organizations, and companies into one space for the purposes of interaction and collaboration in order to:
- Accelerate the conversation regarding innovative sustainable solutions.
- Connect people at the intersection of different fields including design, software development, business, engineering, science, and policy.
- Encourage creative-thinking, collaboration, networking, personal development, innovation, and invention.
- Design and pitch innovative green technologies, business proposals, initiatives, solutions, etc.
What are the current issues GreenHacks is tackling?
- GreenHacks 2021 will be “Sustaining Disruptions”. The past year has presented a host disruptions, both positive and negative, in our lives. In this year’s hackathon, we acknowledge these disruptions and actively seek to address the challenges and inequities they have highlighted. Within this theme, hackers will design innovative solutions within one of our 3 design tracks: home disruptions, natural disaster disruptions, and environmental justice.
Why does GreenHacks need this funding?
- GreenHacks relies on funding in order to provide necessary hacking material to participants. Now that we are online during COVID-19 times, there are also additional shipping costs included in order to mail everything to our estimated 200 participants. Also, we give out unique GreenHacks merch to reward everyone for their hard work and participation.
What have winning proposals been in the past?
- In our most recent hackathon, which took place virtually and focused on the intersection of COVID-19 and sustainability, winners included:
- Perch- an app that will help universities transition back to campus while optimizing building energy usage as well as making use of smart technologies to help maintain safety and physical distancing.
- CityScape- a mobile app that expands access to greenspaces for urban neighborhoods while also tackling the dangers of overcrowding in Urban Greenscape neighborhoods with a density tracker informed by geolocation data.
- Plant-Based Diet Revolution- a two-part comprehensive marketing strategy to capitalize on the shortage of meat during this pandemic to bring plant-based meats to the attention of meat eaters while simultaneously working to create a more positive image of alternative meats among
How is GreenHacks involved with alumni?
- GreenHacks is always looking for people to be speakers, judges, or experts to be part of our events. This opportunity is not limited to people who are in the sustainability field, but rather those who have a passion for innovation and bettering the planet.
Who can participate in GreenHacks?
- GreenHacks is open to any JHU undergraduate or graduate student–regardless of area of study! In the future, we hope to expand to the general Baltimore college community.
What departments have taken part in Greenhacks?
- In the past, GreenHacks has collaborated with
- JHU Environmental Health and Engineering
- JHU Department of Sustainability
- Bloomberg School of Public Health
- JHU Earth and Planetary Sciences
- JHU ChemBe
- NanoBioTechnology
- And our participants have come from many different JHU majors and departments!
How will you accommodate an online hackathon?
- Our May 2020 COVID-19 based virtual hackathon proved to be a success and we are following a similar structure this year.
How else can I get into contact with GreenHacks?