The companies that make this possible. Digital Ocean, Github-Education, IBM, RethinkDB
The USIU-Hackathon is planned almost entirely by (sleep-deprived) United States International University-Africa students, with some advice and assistance from our friends in Engineering fields. You can find more information about sponsoring at our sponsor section.
We are a team of programmers (sleep-deprived) that believe in the importance of computer science in education. In a technologically oriented economy, software is touching every part of our lives, and we think that our generation should be able to interpret and program software to help make the world better.
March 14, 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya 70+ hackers Tons of Swag Prizes Include Cash The hackathon is run by the USIU-IT club
####What is our goal?
Our goal is to get students to apply their programming skills in order to create something that has value. One of the biggest barriers of computer science is the inability to apply coding skills in order to write awesome software. A hackathon is a great way to fix this issue. By creating a makerspace, students are engaged and are able to collaborate to create something awesome.The hackathon will also introduce computer science to people with no experience and eliminate the social barriers associated with programming. Some of these barriers are: "only boys can program, I have to be a genius to know how to code, and programming is nerdy." The hackathon will be a fun, inviting environment that will spur innovation and collaboration.
####Why sponsor?
The School's Hackathon is about the relationship between the developers and the sponsors. The hackathon allows sponsors to exhibit awesome products and ideas that can be used to aid programmers in their projects. Becoming a sponsor will help your company's public relations, brand perception, and product popularity.
By sponsoring, your company is able to form a candid relationship with the programmers of the future and receive opportunities to engage those programmers with technologies that they will grow to love and use.
Sponsors are one of the most important parts of our hackathon. It’s not necessarily how much sponsors contribute financially, but it’s about who is paying? Who will you send in to represent your company? Will they be helping hackers in the middle of the hackathon? Do you have a great API demo or an entertaining tech talk?
A few things to keep in mind:
• Interesting API/Software: Is the API easy to use and well documented with some examples? How is the API priced? Are you offering a coupon code to students? Do you have developers who can help students who run into trouble using it? Do you have any ideas you may want students to build? Do you have software that ultimately aid programmers?
• Good Schwag/Brand Material: It is always good to have schwag. This can be t-shirts with a simple logo or stickers, mugs, jackets, phone cases, hot sauce, etc. We’ll have random giveaways throughout the event, so this is a great way to make sure every participant walks away with your brand!
• Mentors and Representatives: These people are incredibly important when it comes to developing relationships with programmers. If you feel that your company can send someone who is engaging and helpful, that is a way to be an awesome sponsor.
####What to do?
We’ve found that sponsors get the most out of our hackathon when they:
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Bring company engineers and mentors. Being a mentor at our hackathon is a great way to interact with the participants, provide help with company APIs or other technologies, and further establish company rapport and brand recognition
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Send company swag (t-shirts, laptop stickers, water bottles, cards, pens, etc.) for participants, which is an easy way to build company brand recognition.
####Interested?
Please contact us at usiuhackathon@gmail.com. If these sponsorship levels are not suitable, please contact us with information on what we can do for you! All sponsorships will be discussed in more detail.
Our Wish List:
If you can't contribute financially, that's not a problem! We'd still love to have your support. We've listed some alternatives below that will allow you to play a major role in making USIU-Hackathon happen:
Goodies: Hackers will be at it for 14 hours, and that takes loads of caffeine and snacks. If you're willing to provide snacks for the event (especially late evening bites), we'll present them in a way that emphasizes your sponsorship. (e.g."Lunch Pizza presented by Github!")
Branded T-shirts: easy way to build company brand recognition, and keep the devs happy.
Reach out to us at any time, day or night.