B~STEM Project is pleased to launch We Hack Too powered by Microsoft - For Girls, a 48 hour virtual hackathon that will allow young girls and women to engage, learn and grow around coding and business. The hackathon will begin on Friday, June 24th at 12:00 a.m. PST through Saturday, June 25th at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Participants are both high school and college level girls who will compete in teams consisting of three members. It’s okay if you don’t already know how to program or code! We will be evaluating teams for “skill diversity.” It is preferable for each team to have one member who is familiar with coding however other team members should have interest in other disciplines i.e. visual design, business, project management or industry specific interest.

The 48 hour virtual hackathon includes a 1-day invitation only multi-city event. Everyone must register and complete the entire 48 hour by submitting both their prototype and a pitch deck presentation (10 pages max) that shares the viability of your product i.e. customers, marketability, competition, unique value proposition. Your team's project should adhere to We Hack Too's theme of creating solutions that empower and build local and/or global communities. There will be two winning teams nationally, one at the high school level and another at the college level. 

The invitation only, 1-day multi-city event is inside select Microsoft stores (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, and NYC).

Westfield Century City 10250 Santa Monica Blvd #1045, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Westfield Topanga Canyon 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Canoga Park, CA 91303

Fashion Valley Mall 7007 Friars Rd #324, San Diego, CA 92108

Westfield San Francisco Centre Space 257, 845 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

The Somerset Collection Space U213, 2800 W Big Beaver Rd, Troy, MI 48084

Oakbrook Center 49 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523

Fifth Avenue 677 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022

The event is a Product Development & Design Incubator geared towards guiding students in building a presentation deck that lays out the team’s business model and go-to- market strategy.  It’s also an opportunity to work alongside mentors and team members in creating their prototype. At the close of the day each team will pitch their ideas to industry leaders who will rate the viability of the idea and offer insight. Athough there will be winners at the local level, participants in this event must still complete their prototype to be submitted at the close of the 48 hours for national consideration.

All entries to the 48 hour hackathon must be submitted by June 25 at 11:59 p.m. PST, prototypes and pitch presentation decks will be judged at the end of the submission period based on criteria listed below.

The judging panel will consist of business and tech leaders.

Please go to www.bstemproject.org for more details!

$1,840 in prizes

Step 1: Register for the challenge here on our Devpost page by Tuesday, June 23rd. 

(When you register for Devpost be sure to list your skill sets [for example, "coding" "marketing" "project manager" as well as your academic level)

Step 2: If you have a potential project idea, add it under projects on your Devpost profile OR

Step 2:  If you don’t have a potential project idea, be sure to come back to our Devpost page and check out the Participants tab frequently. Look through the other participants' projects. If you find one you would like to be a part of then send a message to the participant.

Step 3: If you don't know any coders or those with business, marketing, design, etc. skills, then look through the participants and see if there is anyone of interest. Contact them and inquire about forming a team. Don't be shy and be sure to come back and look daily. Also post on our Discussion Board what you're looking for so that someone can connect with you. 

Step 4: If you live in near San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, or NYC and our interested in attending our one day event, please follow our instructions under "Eligibility"

Step 5: Register your team on our Team Sign Up tab 

Step 6: Stay up to date with reminders and resources during the challenge 

Important Dates: 

Indicate interest in the invitation only, 1-day event at select Microsoft stores as soon as possible because it is first come, first serve

• Friday, June 17th: Invitations to 1-day Event Closed 
• Tuesday, June 23rd: Registration Ends
• Friday, June 24th: Virtual Hackathon Begins
• Friday, June 24th: 1-Day Event in Select Cities (8:30 am ~ 7:30 pm)
• Saturday, June 25th: All submissions must be Submitted by 11:59 pm PST
• Friday, July 1st: We Hack Too hackathon winners will be announced 

• Technical Complexity
  Does the prototype work correctly and is the hack technically interesting or difficult?
• Ease of Use & Visual Design
  How intuitive is the experience? Would the intended end user find the application easy to use and understand? Is the design clear and simple and also aesthetically pleasing?
• Market Viability
  How well is the market understood, competition and need?
• Customer Aquisition
  How clear and realistic is the strategy to gain and keep customers?
• Revenue & Growth
  How will money be made and is the product scalable?
• Ingenuity
  Is this a new idea? Does technology like this already exist? How innovative is this concept for building and empowering local or global communities?
• Impact on local or global communities
  What would users gain from their experience using this project? Does it fulfill a real need people might have?
• Presentation
  How well was the product presented? Does your pitch deck clearly articulate what your prototype accomplishes?
• Team Skill Diversity
  Are there a variety of skill sets and disciplines represented in the team dynamic?