UChicago Second Annual Civic ScopeAthon

A civic scope-a-thon is a hackathon, whose main objective is to focus on a civic-minded or community-based problem, form cross-functional teams to scope out the problem, break the problem down into its parts and develop a plan to address the problem. The solutions may or may not be entirely tech-oriented, or only parts of the solution may have a tech component.

Our civic scope-a-thon provides the opportunity to gain problem-scoping skills, learn about other civic-tech organizations, network with community leaders, and to join a team and enjoy the thrill and excitement of a full day scope-a-thon. If any or all of this pique your interest—we look forward to seeing you at the event!

As part of your RSVP, please read through the following link. It includes detailed descriptions of the participating nonprofits and the challenges each is bringing for you and your team to solve. Please pick the organization that you most want to work with, as long as there are still spots left.

FAQs

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

chicagosouthsidecivic@gmail.com

Do I need to know how to code?

No. We want a diverse array of skills present at the hackathon, which means that even if you can’t code, we want you there!

Is there a competition? Are the prizes?

Teams will present their work to a panel of expert judges and compete for prizes at the end of the day on Saturday. 

Do I need a laptop?

Yes. If you don't have access to one, contact us and we will work something out.

Do I have to stay the whole time on Saturday?

Yes.

What if the organization I want to work with is over-subscribed (i.e. has no tickets left)?

Please pick your next best preference. You can also email us and let us know what your first preference was so if a spot opens up, we can slot you in to your most preferred organization to scope with. 

Can my friend(s) and I be in the same group?

This is potentially possible, if each friend is able to RSVP to the same organization.