Bitcamp has always been about bringing people together through their love for technology. This year, we want to bridge the gap between our hackers and the rest of our community by incorporating real-world problems at the forefront of our challenges.
Compass: an instrument used for navigation and orientation that shows direction relative to the geographic cardinal directions.
Just as each of the four cardinal directions of a compass direct travelers to a destination, the four directions of the Compass Challenge represent real-world social challenges that your team can help solve with technology.
You’ll have the opportunity to act as consultants for the partner organizations aligned to each cause and work with company representatives to create a potentially viable industry product.
Participation in the Compass Challenge completely optional! Ultimately, it aims to empower hackers who wish to make a lasting change in their community.
1. Energy Sustainability with GOEFER Inc.
Think of the household items that stay plugged in day after day. While keeping electronics plugged in all day may be convenient, we often forget the impact this has on the environment and our bank accounts.
We challenge you to raise awareness regarding our regular energy consumption and help reduce energy use. Whether it be to help save money on your energy bills, sustain the natural resources we already have, or even allow for greener hackathons, there is an endless list of reasons for why energy sustainability grows increasingly relevant every day.
2. Continuing Education with Exerceo
How do we inspire individuals to continuously learn throughout their lifetime? We challenge you to design a product that will get and keep individuals excited about learning, no matter their stage in life. Think about who might use your product — is it burnt-out college students? mid-career professionals?
3. Mental Health Awareness with Sigma Phi Delta
Mental health is an issue that affects about 1 in 5 adults nationwide. That number increases to 1 in 4 when you narrow the demographics to college-aged adults. Community outreach and wellbeing are core tenants of SPD. We challenge hackers to effectively use software or hardware in their hacks to make a meaningful contribution to mental health quality of care, access, or support.
4. Create your own cause!
Are you passionate about a cause that is different from the ones listed above? We encourage you to create a hack that tackles a social good issue that you care about. Whether it be ending world hunger, animal rights, discrimination, or disaster relief, the options are endless.
Bitcamp is a place for exploration. You will have 36 hours to delve into your curiosities, learn something new, and make something awesome. With world-class mentors and 1,200+ fellow campers, you’re in for an amazing time. Whether you’re a seasoned hacker or completely new to the world of hacking, we’ll have something for you. Bitcamp 2019 is on April 12–14th at the Xfinity Center. If you’re ready for an adventure, we’ll see you by the campfire!
