Yes We Code & Qeyno launch First Hackathon for “My Brother’s Keeper”
“Who better to lead the development of inclusive technology than under-served, under-represented youth in this city. We want them to design and engineer technology that taps into opportunities woven by their individual experiences and collectively shaped in Philadelphia.”
Qeyno Labs CEO, Kalimah Priforce, Winner of White House Champion of Change Award
- Philadelphia Urban Youth to Build Apps at #YesWeCode’s “My Brother’s Keeper Hackathon” Powered by Qeyno Labs
- Hackathon Free to Participating Youth, Registration Deadline November 14
Philadelphia, PA, October 27, 2014– On Friday, November 14 through Sunday, November 16, #YesWeCode and Qeyno Labs join forces to bring the first-ever hackathon to Philadelphia for the White House initiative “My Brother’s Keeper.” The 3-day youth hackathon will take place at the String Theory Schools located at 1600 Vine Street in Philadelphia.
Register at http://www.mbkhack.com and on this eventbrite.
Through community partnerships, #YesWeCode and Qeyno Labs will provide Philadelphia youth, both boys and girls, a safe-environment, mentors and technological tools needed to solve local community problems through designing and building apps. The hackathon is free to participating youth and to adult professionals seeking to be their mentors. Families, teachers, organizations, and caregivers are encouraged to register youth as soon as possible at www.mbkhack.com by November 14.
Van Jones, President of Rebuild the Dream feels strongly that its #YesWeCode initiative debunks the myth that Black youth are only consumers and not innovators of technology.
“We don’t accept the stereotype that African American boys and girls are only users and consumers of apps and technology. Our initiative shows that Black youth are also brilliant app developers, coders and programmers,” said Jones.
Through partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Philadelphia and the Black Male Engagement (BMe) network, the hackathon will host boy and girl innovators, coders, and designers to build and design apps that drive real solutions for our communities, educators, and families in Philadelphia. The 3-day hackathon is sponsored by Google, MSNBC, Essence Magazine, MyClickUrban and public relations company GNCPR.
Adults participants not applying to be mentors are encouraged to buy a $25 ticket which will go towards a scholarship for a youth participant. In addition, the ticket price includes admission for one to attend the closing “My Brother’s Keeper” VIP reception to be held after final pitches on Sunday.
During the “My Brother’s Keeper” Hackathon (#MBKHack), youth will pair with technologists and community leaders to build apps that solve challenges related to education, wellness, restorative justice, food, sustainability and masculinity.
My Sister’s Keeper Initiative (MSK) at #MBKHack
There has been a buzz of controversy and debate over the gender-exclusive “My Brother’s Keeper”, a first of its kind White House Initiative targeting the life outcomes of young men of color in the United States and efforts to improve those outcomes by foundations, corporations, non-profits, and community leaders. Kalimah Priforce of Qeyno Labs decided to make this event inclusive of young women, through an initiative he calls, “My Sister’s Keeper”, headed by Urban Tech Alliance, a band of entrepreneurial women and girls looking to building apps during the My Brother’s Keeper hackathon, but from the perspective of youth that self-identify as female.
Young women attending the majority-male hackathon will have encouraging and supportive mentors through MSK, and will be building apps that they feel will improve the life outcomes of young men of color, but through their genius, their leadership, and their designs.
Priforce believes that, “It is only by including young women and trans youth, do we get closer to an inclusive masculinity for the 21st century.”
Qeyno Labs founder, Kalimah Priforce, was recently awarded as a White House Champion of Change for launching the first Black Male Achievement Hackathon hosted in the city of Oakland, California. His startup is known for designing radically inclusive hackathon experiences that have launched apps that fight human trafficking, curtail mass incarceration, and help to prevent tragedies like the late Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Oscar Grant. Priforce felt it was time to invest in the students of Philadelphia and unlock their genius so they can be empowered to lead America’s 21st century economy.
At the end of the “My Brother’s Keeper” Hackathon, Qeyno Labs aims to ensure all participants (adults and youth alike) walk away with a sense of accomplishment inspired by unique interactions that come with brilliant people getting together to solve problems, and “upload” their creation for the world to experience.
About Qeyno Labs
Qeyno is the leading provider of inclusive hackathons guiding high potential youth in low opportunity settings into STEM career pathways. Using coding literacy, art, and mentorship, Qeyno leads the way in playful learning experiences that make “hackathon” a household word in every home and is committed to lifting innovation in every community. www.qeyno.com, Facebook, twitter: @qeyno
About Rebuild The Dream, #YesWeCode Initiative
Rebuild The Dream’s #YesWeCode initiative targets low-opportunity youth and provides them with the necessary resources and tools to become world-class computer programmers. By learning this highly valuable and relevant 21st century skill, these young people are shifting the trajectory of their futures and transforming their relationships with their communities and their country.www.yeswecode.com, Facebook, twitter: @yeswecode
Monica Peters
GNCPR
215–281–8105
MonicaPeters@gncpr.com
GNCPR.com
@GNCPR360
Register for #MBKHack in Philly!
Nov 14–16, 2014
www.mbkhack.com
@qeyno
