About the challenge

Visit Website: https://www.smartcityhouston.com/flooding

The City of Houston invites you to dream up creative ways to solve flooding, a problem faced by Houston and numerous other cities around the world. Houston Planning Commissioner, Mr. Tahir, and Chief Recovery Officer, Mr. Costello, have partnered with Awty International School to host this fun Design Sprint ( a virtual problem-solving event) on September 23, 2022.

 

Flooding can destroy lives. Flooding is getting worse. You can help.

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Here's how:

  • if you're 14 to 18 years of age

  • if you live anywhere in the world (you do NOT need to live in Houston)

  • if you have internet connection

  • if you want to solve a real-world problem (instead of boring problem-sets)

  • if you want awards and recognition to build your resume for college admission

  • if you can spend at least 2 hours between 6 pm (CST) Sept. 23 and 6 pm Sept. 25

  • if you enjoy making a video of up to 5 minutes (that is all you need to submit for this event)

Requirements

What to Build

Develop a plan for a solution that resolves the issue of flooding in a certain area or Houston as a whole. Develop a prototype for bonus points.

What to Submit

Submit a 5 minuite video explaining your solution, its pros cons, what you will need to implement it, etc. (Full rubric will be released on the first day) 

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

5 non-cash prizes
Co-Signed Certificate from Mayor
1 winner

The winning team will receive a certificate of recognition signed by the event organizers, Houston Planning Commissioner Mr. Zafar, and the Mayor of Houston, Mr. Turner.

Recognition
3 winners

Top three teams will receive a celebration of you, your team's solution on this website. We'll include your photo, your biography, and your team's solution. Great for building your resume for college applications, scholarships, community service and more.

Solution Consideration from Houston Planning Commission
1 winner

The winning team's solution will be later presented to the Houston City Planning Committee as a viable solution to resolve, or mitigate flooding. Allowing your team's solution to gain recognition and save lives.

VIP Invitation to future Design Sprints
3 winners

Consideration for an Internship with the City of Houston
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Zafar Tahir

Zafar Tahir
Houston Planning Commission

Steve Costello

Steve Costello
Chief Recovery Officer

Bill Baldwin

Bill Baldwin
Founder, Board Chair of Your Houston

Judging Criteria

  • PROBLEM & CUSTOMER
    Team clearly described the problem that customers needed solving, how important is this problem to the customer, and explains who are other stakeholders (who care about the problem and solving it)
  • SOLUTION
    Team clearly described existing solutions available to the customer, the details of the team's solution and how the team's solution is superior to existing solutions.
  • VISUAL REPRESENTATION
    The teams shows the team's solution using one or more of these: sketches, CAD drawings, animations, videos, wireframes, photos of scale model, etc.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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