CodeAcrossTO 2019

Civic Tech Toronto invites you to CodeAcrossTO - a civic hackathon where you can take on public challenges using data, design and development. No technical background is assumed nor required. _____________  CodeAcrossTO is a volunteer-run civic hackathon held each year on Open Data Day. We centre Toronto's community needs and bring together its talent across disciplines to seed solutions through design and technology. It's an all-ages, all-abilities event. Our format? Come for the challenges that speak explicitly to Toronto's sustainable future, facilitated by rad folks like Law & Design Colab (working to improve legal accessibility), OPIRG Toronto (environment/social justice research and action group), FreeGeek (educational and reusable tech, and Toronto Environment & Energy (driving Toronto's #TransformTO climate action plan forward). Attendees can join a challenge that interests them for the day. There are broadly four steps to our hackathon: 1. Research and map our community's diverse needs2. Think tools, sustainability, technology3. Build solutions in breakout groups4. Share progress Unlike traditional hackathons, we're not expecting a working prototype at the end of the day, but the foundation for a thoughtful solution to the problem at-hand. Think of CodeAcrossTO as a pop-up public process incubator: to build connections and have enough fun doing it that we continue long after the event is done. _____________  This year we're excited to announce our theme: Toronto's Take on Sustainable Development The UN's Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. What are some Toronto-specific solutions for poverty, health, food, and the other UN Sustainable Development Goals? How do we design inclusive, collaborative solutions that work for our city and ultimately have a global impact on sustainability? Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms Goal 2: Zero Hunger Goal 3: Health Goal 4: Education Goal 5: Gender equality and women’s empowerment Goal 6: Water and Sanitation Goal 7: Energy Goal 8: Economic Growth Goal 9: Infrastructure, industrialization Goal 10: Inequality Goal 11: Cities Goal 12: Sustainable consumption and production Goal 13: Climate Change Goal 14: Oceans Goal 15: Biodiversity, forests, desertification Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions Goal 17: Partnerships _____________  Our Challenges* Making our built environment more accessible Expanding access to reliable internet & hardware Reducing individual carbon footprints Reducing waste & energy consumption in our everyday spaces Expanding advocacy Legal Accessibility: Redesigning the Ontario Standard Form Lease *These challenges have been modified to reflect facilitator schedule changes. _____________  Location & Accessibility Artscape Daniels Launchpad is on the 4th floor of the East Tower on 130 Queens Quay East. The building is a Platinum LEEDS-certified building, is wheelchair-accessible and AODA-compliant. There are accessible, gendered, and non-gendered washrooms. Please scroll down for additional FAQs. FAQs   I am not a technologist and I have not attended a hackathon before Fantastic! Come with your enthusiasm for making Toronto more sustainable. Your input is valuable and we would appreciate having you there. No technical background is assumed nor required for participants. I have attended a hackathon before  Also excellent! You will likely find CodeAcrossTO to be a non-traditional hackathon based on collaboration and deliberation. Do I need a team? How prepared should I be? You do not need a team! Come as you are, though of course we'd love for you to spread the word to friends. We encourage all participants to do two things: 1) maximise the number of strangers in your group, and 2) keep an open mind and try something new. I am interested in attending but am concerned about barriers to participationWe are 100% committed to making this event as accessible as possible. We are also happy to waive the registration fee to eliminate any financial barriers to participation. Co-chairs, Alex and Laura (dotoriworks@gmail.com) are happy to follow up on any specific concerns. Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event? No. This will be an all-ages event though please note it is not designed specifically for children younger than high school. All minors must be accompanied by a guardian. What about food and refreshments? No one can hack on an empty stomach! We'll provide light breakfast, all-day coffee, and snacks throughout the day. We'll do our best to acommodate different dietary restrictions. Please reach out if you have specific concerns. What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event? TBD. Check back! What can I bring into the event? We encourage you to bring laptops, tablets, chargers, crafting supplies, a reuseable waterbottle and anything else you need for a productive day.  How can I contact the organizer with any questions? Co-chairs, Alex and Laura (dotoriworks@gmail.com) are happy to follow up on any specific concerns.