How to Run a Learning Hackathon

Editor's Notes

• #6: Participants form groups of about 5-10 individuals dive into problems. Today that’s YOU! Hackathon guidelines • Don’t limit crazy ideas • Lets create a space where participants can work uninterrupted • Let participants work the way they want. Don’t tell them how. • Empower people and make their ideas heard • Set the expectation: Ideas may not end up being major breakthroughs Improvements will be incremental
• #10: So, to sum up…
• #11: By Nevit Dilmen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1375796 Wherever there is a problem, there are already people acting on the problem in some fashion. Understanding those actions is the starting point for developing effective strategies to resolve the problem, so we focus on the solutions, not the problems. Quote: https://www.alliedmedia.org/about/network-principles from the Allied Media Projects website We begin by listening Every year we face new challenges and opportunities. Our work changes constantly, and there is no perfect formula for how we do this work. Embedded throughout our organizing is a set of principles which we have distilled from listening to our network. We are making an honest attempt to solve the most significant problems of our day. We are building a network of people and organizations that are developing long-term solutions based on the immediate confrontation of our most pressing problems. Wherever there is a problem, there are already people acting on the problem in some fashion. Understanding those actions is the starting point for developing effective strategies to resolve the problem, so we focus on the solutions, not the problems. We emphasize our own power and legitimacy. We presume our power, not our powerlessness. We spend more time building than attacking. We focus on strategies rather than issues. The strongest solutions happen through the process, not in a moment at the end of the process. The most effective strategies for us are the ones that work in situations of scarce resources and intersecting systems of oppression because those solutions tend to be the most holistic and sustainable. Place is important. For the AMC, Detroit is important as a source of innovative, collaborative, low-resource solutions. Detroit gives the conference a sense of place, just as each of the conference participants bring their own sense of place with them to the conference. We encourage people to engage with their whole selves, not just with one part of their identity. We begin by listening. Allied Media Projects also strives to work in alignment with the principles of the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition.
• #13: Companies that run Hackathons - Netflix, Facebook, IBM, Google, Shopify. Cycles of innovation, new opportunities, exploring new areas, de-risking big hairy problems, marginal improvements, are all good reasons for business to have hackdays.
• #16: Best Hackathons are at least a day long. You can run them shorter, but it will take planning and discipline to get some good stuff out of a shorter time frame. You’ll want a good mix of spaces. You’ll need a big common room with seating and a projector for the event kickoff, demos, and awards. It’s also great to have break-out rooms for teams to work together or where people who like a quiet place to work can put their heads down and focus. Make sure your choice of venue has sufficient power and Internet bandwidth for your event. One of the most frustrating things for attendees to see is two similar events on the same day in the same area. To avoid this, check places like Eventbrite, Meetup.
• #17: Make sure you’ve got lots of power outlets. Make sure you have spare cables and USB drives available. Wifi: Details on how to get on the wireless network. Include the network name along with any temporary username and password or registration details needed. Timeline: The event schedule needs to be easy to find. It’s critical to keep everybody on task. Set up any audio or PA equipment that you need. Provide name tags stickers and markers. It helps if organizers and volunteers have nametags that distinguish them from attendees, so they’re more easily identifiable.
• #21: Since you will be judging winners for your event, and especially if you’re going to be giving out prizes, it’s important to clearly document and share your rules so that everyone can review them before the event. You’ll want three to five judges, and it’s best if they not be the same as the core organizers of the event.
• #39: And in particular to our host and table captain, Stacey Gardner
• #40: And in particular to our host and table captain, Stacey Gardner and to the ever great Darren Nerland – both of Microsoft
• #43: (Darren) - Welcoming & AGENDA ·   Mention the code of conduct ·       Ask who has not been to a hackathon before, or to your particular event before; give applause ·       Encourage people to take and share session notes and to record progress on projects (NOTE: we’ll provide notepads – encourage rotating table scribe to capture notes for each table in addition to the flipchart for capturing ideas) Acts 1 through 3 = (target questions/challenges for the team to uncover and to hack)
• #44: Hacking is creative problem solving. (It does not have to be about technology.)
• #46: Participants form groups of about 5-10 individuals dive into problems. Today that’s YOU! Hackathon guidelines • Don’t limit crazy ideas • Lets create a space where participants can work uninterrupted • Let participants work the way they want. Don’t tell them how. • Empower people and make their ideas heard • Set the expectation: Ideas may not end up being major breakthroughs Improvements will be incremental
• #47: So, to sum up…
• #48: By Nevit Dilmen - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1375796 Wherever there is a problem, there are already people acting on the problem in some fashion. Understanding those actions is the starting point for developing effective strategies to resolve the problem, so we focus on the solutions, not the problems. Quote: https://www.alliedmedia.org/about/network-principles from the Allied Media Projects website We begin by listening Every year we face new challenges and opportunities. Our work changes constantly, and there is no perfect formula for how we do this work. Embedded throughout our organizing is a set of principles which we have distilled from listening to our network. We are making an honest attempt to solve the most significant problems of our day. We are building a network of people and organizations that are developing long-term solutions based on the immediate confrontation of our most pressing problems. Wherever there is a problem, there are already people acting on the problem in some fashion. Understanding those actions is the starting point for developing effective strategies to resolve the problem, so we focus on the solutions, not the problems. We emphasize our own power and legitimacy. We presume our power, not our powerlessness. We spend more time building than attacking. We focus on strategies rather than issues. The strongest solutions happen through the process, not in a moment at the end of the process. The most effective strategies for us are the ones that work in situations of scarce resources and intersecting systems of oppression because those solutions tend to be the most holistic and sustainable. Place is important. For the AMC, Detroit is important as a source of innovative, collaborative, low-resource solutions. Detroit gives the conference a sense of place, just as each of the conference participants bring their own sense of place with them to the conference. We encourage people to engage with their whole selves, not just with one part of their identity. We begin by listening. Allied Media Projects also strives to work in alignment with the principles of the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition.
• #49: Strengthening the community that the hackathon is for Being welcoming to new ideas Providing an opportunity for participants to learn something new Providing a space and time for you (the participants) to make headway on problems you’re interested in
• #50: Don’t expect to actually solve a problem by the end of the hackathon. Real life problems are hard! Think of the hackathon as a pit-stop on a long journey to solve problems or as a training session to prepare yourselves for solving problems. Since you’re not going to solve a problem, don’t put unrealistic (and unhealthy) pressure on yourselves. (Participants should come energized and be greeted with positive energy.)
• #52: Gallery walk
• #53: Pitch Presentations
• #54: Wrap-up ·        The wrap-up session gives everyone a chance to hear what everyone else worked on during the day. For a small group, ask volunteers to report what they accomplished or what they learned (especially for workshop participants).
• #55: (NEED FOTO CREDIT) Thank sponsors again Emailing participants link to session evaluation – we welcome your feedback! Let us know if you can help with writing up the results of today’s hackathon