Hi There,
Our college is in the process of creating a program for our online and on-campus alumni students who are graduates of our IT and Cyber Security degree programs.
I have few questions regarding the process of getting sponsors for this event when it comes to fruition.
1. What is the process to get a hackathon like event sponsored.
2. What paperwork do we need for this event
3. Is there any other additional information that I need to submit and is there any advice that you can give to me to present my program director to get them onboard?
The general topic of creating this event surrounds the following:
#1 is to create a valuable community:
One of the best parts about why I went to Full Sail was the people you got to meet. That's why I want to create an environment in which these teams (both online and campus) can socialize and bond and make events more interactive.
#2 Hosting virtual and on campus events:
Even though in-person events have added networking value, being able to host virtual events is one of the many things we can utilize here at Full Sail. Technology is such a wonderful world and I think we can better utilize our tools to reach out to our Alumni students and really create some amazing breakout sessions and labs. Let’s bring the Full Sail experience to them. Each city that students live in, have the ability to connect and create break out labs along with the ability to meet other students. Hosting online events, of any kind, are a great way to provide access to more people in more locations who otherwise couldn’t travel for the live version.
#3 Utilize what we already have rather than spending large amounts on infrastructure:
Part of my talks with staff discussed using older equipment that the school and students already have lying around. We discussed utilizing the school’s smart lab, using equipment that the school is already going to recycle, etc.
#4 Hackathons and other various community events:
For our Cyber and IT grads (also including all other fields) there’s no limit to how many options hackathons can offer. Internal hackathons are traditionally for the developers and programmers, It’s the time for them to hunker down and geek out. However, incorporating personnel from other departments is a great way to make hackathon projects more well-rounded and to guarantee campus and online-wide engagement.
Even if you choose to do a hackathon in its traditional format, there are plenty of opportunities to encourage event engagement through a unifying theme. This is especially useful if you’re hosting multiple events or seminars that relate to your hackathon. Create resources and extras (like access to talks given by subject matter experts) branded with this theme to enhance the overall experience.
and on top of it, who said all the fun had to be limited to the programmers? Incorporating departments like film, game development, and other various degree programs in the competition makes for a more collaborative and holistic experience. Without even creating a line of code, each team gets an opportunity to create a proof of concept, judged on its business value, innovation, and team collaboration.
Hackathons aren’t limited to a single challenge. Consider including extended coding subjects or mini sprints for extra points. Not only will these bonus competitions fuel friendly rivalry it will also help get more participants actively engaged. You can even send notifications to event app users for surprise lightning rounds.
#5 Start a movement:
Although this is a large ask for any school event, it’s good to keep your end goals in mind when we create our first event. If this sounds like something you're onboard with or have additional ideas on how to get our students (both online and campus) involved, please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any information you have on how we can make this happen. It needs to be a team and collaborative effort.
