Have you thought about building an app that could impact your community? A great opportunity to do so just passed! Do not be dismayed, now you have a heads up for February 2019! Each year the Carroll County Hackathon helps teams with the basics and more on how to “design, build and pitch an app” within a weekends’ worth of work. Registration is free and open to any students willing to participate.
The beauty of the Hackathon challenge is that one does not have to be a Computer Science major, experienced app developer or have deep knowledge and insight about building apps in order to participate; the Hackathon itself brings out a creative and innovative side in participants they did not even know or doubted that they possessed.
It works like magic.
Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory, Inc. (MAGIC) hosted this year’s event at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD. The Hackathon weekend ran from Friday, February 23rd to Sunday, February 25th 2018. It was preceded by the Hackathon workshop courtesy of Bytelion, a week earlier, to lay the groundwork for the main event.
This year’s event had 59 students participating and they were divided into 11 teams. Some teammates were familiar with each other while others were strangers who eventually became friends within a short span. The Hackathon also had volunteer tech experts and entrepreneurs who provided assistance and mentored students as they worked hard and creatively to bring their ideas to life. By the end of the event on Sunday, February 25, 2018, community members, parents and judges were all present as the teams showcased the applications they had designed and built.
2018 Hackathon Winners: Christopher Scalzi and Stephen White
12th graders from South Carroll High School, Christopher Scalzi and Stephen White emerged winners of the 2018 Carroll County Hackathon. They built an application that “helps to eliminate potholes and streamline municipal and county maintenance.”
There were other awards given for Best Design, Best Idea, Best Pitch and Best Tech.
Best Design Award: Samantha Lipscomb, Christopher Becker and Bobby Hough
Best Design- Health Me app went to three Carroll Community College students, Christopher
Becker, Bobby Hough, and Samantha Lipscomb.
Best Idea Award: Benjamin Schipper and Matthew Meagher
McDaniel College’s Matthew Meagher and Benjamin Schipper won the award for Best Idea:
Punch Card app.
Best Pitch Award: Christopher Slaughter, Jonathon MacGregor and Jacob MacGregor
Best Pitch: Homework Plus app was awarded to high school students from Manchester Valley
High School, Jacob MacGregor, Jonathon MacGregor, and Christopher Slaughter.
Best Tech Award: Brayden Yaeger, Jon Allen and Richard Buie III, not pictured, Paul Wells.
Jon Allen and Brayden Yaeger from Manchester Valley High School, alongside Richard Buie
III, Charles Herbert Flowers High School and Paul Wells, a home schooled student, won the Best Tech: Choice app.
The event was a fun, educative and engaging experience for all those involved. The Carroll County Hackathon is an avenue for numerous networking and employment opportunities for participants after the event is over. Thanks to partners and sponsors: Carroll Community College, McDaniel College, Bytelion, Smartlogic, City of Westminster and MAGIC.