ABOUT GIRLATHON:
GIRLATHON, a three-week-long hackathon, is dedicated to fostering a welcoming environment for women who are new to the tech world. Recognizing the disproportionately low representation of women in technology, GIRLATHON is on a mission to guide and support beginners and enthusiastic minds in their journey to learn tech stacks, build projects, and acquire valuable technical skills. In the face of limited female participation in the tech industry, GIRLATHON provides a platform for mentorship and growth. The hackathon encourages participants to delve into various aspects of technology, empowering them to create projects that not only enhance their skills but also contribute to social impact. GIRLATHON’s commitment to its vision is evident in the success of GIRLATHON’23, where countless beginners had the opportunity to learn, build, network, and make meaningful contributions to projects. The event not only equips participants with technical expertise but also opens doors to a myriad of opportunities in the tech realm. Join us in the movement to empower women in technology and make GIRLATHON a stepping stone for more success stories in the future.
Building on GIRLATHON '23 Success:
The resounding success of GIRLATHON’23 echoes our commitment to empowering absolute beginners. Participants not only gained invaluable knowledge and hands-on experience but also formed lasting networks and contributed to projects with significant social impact. GIRLATHON’23 happened because of the immense support from FOSS United and other sponsors who stood with us throughout the journey.
Here is a reference to GIRLATHON’23 : GIRLATHON’23
Event Goals :
- Empowerment: Empower women in technology by providing a supportive and inclusive environment for learning, collaboration, and skill development.
- Skill Building: Equip participants with essential technical skills through hands-on experiences in project development, emphasizing the use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
- Diversity Advocacy: Address the gender gap in technology by exclusively catering to women-identifying individuals, fostering diversity and inclusion within the tech community.
- Mentorship: Offer personalized mentorship to participants, guiding them through the ideation, development, and presentation phases of their projects.
- Social Impact: Encourage the creation of projects that have a meaningful social impact across various tracks, promoting technology as a tool for positive change.
- Promoting the FOSS culture: Actively promote the principles of Free and Open Source Software, encouraging participants to engage with FOSS technologies, contribute to open-source projects, and embrace collaborative development practices.
- Networking: Facilitate networking opportunities for participants to connect with mentors, industry professionals, and like-minded peers, creating a supportive community for ongoing growth.
- Recognition: Recognize and celebrate participants’ achievements, both in project development and contributions to FOSS, fostering a culture of appreciation and motivation.
- Inclusivity: Ensure an inclusive environment where absolute beginners feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged to explore and contribute to technology.
- Community Building: Strengthen the sense of community among women in technology, providing a platform for shared experiences, knowledge exchange, and long-term connections.
Event Format:
- Ideation Round: Participants register with their teams and submit innovative project ideas.
- First Phase of Shortlisting: Ideas with potential for social impact are carefully selected. Teams are matched with experienced mentors, facilitating the learning of tech stacks and project development.
- Mentoring Sessions: Comprehensive sessions cover a spectrum of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) technologies. In-person and online workshops delve into Git and GitHub fundamentals, providing practical knowledge on contributing to open-source projects.
- Pre-Events and Competitions: Encouraging participants to apply their knowledge by contributing to the club’s FOSS repositories. Recognition and prizes are awarded for outstanding contributions, motivating participants to actively engage with FOSS principles.
- Second Phase of Shortlisting: Teams are evaluated based on consistency, effort, and the level of project completion. Non-shortlisted teams receive ongoing support to complete their projects, fostering an inclusive learning environment.
- Final Presentation: Shortlisted teams present their projects, evaluated on the originality of ideas, utilization of FOSS technologies, project completion, and effective presentation skills.
TIMELINE:
- Registration Starts : First Week of January 2024
- Registration Closes : Second Week of February 2024
- First Phase of Shortlisting and announcement of selected teams : February 22nd 2024
- General Mentoring Sessions begin : February 24th 2024
- Commencement of Development phase : March 1st 2024
- Pre-events and Competitions : First week of March 2024
- Second Round of Shortlisting : March 16th 2024
- Final Presentation : 23rd March 2024
TRACKS:
- Healthcare
- Transportation
- Waste Management
- Eliminating Social Stigma
- Environment & agriculture
- Renewable Energy
- Disaster Management
- Open-Innovation
Collaboration Required from FOSS United
We believe that the valuable support from FOSS UNITED as our sponsor played a pivotal role in the successfull implementation of GIRLATHON’23. Encouraged by its success, we are looking forward to collaborating with FOSS United this time as well and would be honored to have you as our sponsor.