By: Nick Travis
From November 1-3, the Reid Community Centre plays host to the first ever Hackathon in the City of Mount Pearl, an event that inspires creativity and innovation
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Hacking Mount Pearl is taking place from November 1 to 3 at the Reid Community Centre in Mount Pearl.
Anyone with an interest in design, development, programming, business and innovation is invited to come out and participate in Mount Pearl’s very first Hackathon.
What is a Hackathon?
A hackathon is an event in which teams of designers, project managers, programmers and developers alike get together to collaborate on projects, while also competing with other design teams. The goal of a hackathon is to create a usable product, whether hardware or software, by the end of the event.
Hacking Mount Pearl will give teams a chance to pitch their ideas to mentors and industry experts, allowing them the chance to better realize their goal.
Participants in Hacking Mount Pearl are tasked with solving a problem with technology. Teams are given the chance to pitch their own problems and solutions, or can come up with a solution to four pre-determined challenges.
Challenge & Prizes
Hackers will have the weekend to draft and design their product. On Sunday afternoon all the teams will present their prototype to a panel of judges.
They will explain how it can work as a solution to a community problem, as well as how in can be further developed and be put on the market. The top three teams of the event will be walking home with some pretty amazing prizes.
The first place team will receive $7,500 in cash and $10,000 in operating funds to complete their project. The team will also receive two seats in the A1Next, a startup company incubator, as well as a 12-month membership to the Summit Centre.
The second place team will receive $3,500 in cash and $5,000 in operating capital. Third place will take home $2,000 in cash. A community spirit award of $1,000 is also available.
Registration is $10. Individuals applying need to be at least 16 years old.
Teams of up to five are allowed, so bring along friends and register for this fun event. The sign-in will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Reid Community Centre on November 1.
Anyone interested in registering for Hacking Mount Pearl can go to the registration page, which can be found through hackingmp.ca.