Designed to encourage and support female college students pursing computer sciences, the second annual International Women’s Hackathon is set for April 24 – 27, 2014 on university campuses around the world.
Rane Johnson-Stempson, director of Education and Scholarly Communication at Microsoft Research Connections, reports on the Microsoft Research Connections Blog, that the hackathon “empowers young women to become leaders in computer science, informatics, and electrical engineering. By providing a fun and safe environment in which to explore computing, the hackathon encourages and supports young university women around the world, preparing them to create technology innovations that will help meet worldwide challenges in such areas as improving healthcare, protecting the environment, and upgrading manufacturing.”
In the blog post, Johnson-Stempson revealed that the hackathon’s challenges – sponsored by the UN Women, Hindsight Group, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, and Teens Against Distracted Driving – include designing an app that either increases women’s participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) majors, or prevents texting while driving.
Last year’s hackathon took place on 14 campuses in seven countries, with more than 600 women participating.
Look for more information about the hackathon in January, including details on speakers and events. For now, Johnson-Stempson says, “You can organize teams and register for the event.”
Get all the details on the hackathon over on the Microsoft Research Connections Blog.
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Athima Chansanchai
Microsoft News Center Staff