February 19th to 21st, North Campus, University of Michigan
What makes a hackathon inclusive? There isn’t just some one key element to consider; it’s not just having more of x people; it’s a process of recognizing what issues we see in the community, and taking steps to address them.
First, we’re concentrating our efforts into 500–700 hackers. This allows us to provide a much more personalized focus on each and every hacker. We want every hacker to know the people in MHacks, not just the brand. We want every mentor to know the hacker, not just the face of a project.
Second, we’re bringing in the most diverse group of hackers. Ever.
“Well how do you define diversity?” Good question.
A diverse hackathon goes beyond increasing the presence of minorities. It also means reaching out to newcomers and veterans alike. We want to include everyone regardless of their previous hackathon experiences or CS classes taken. Veterans, don’t worry. We’re not going to exclude you for being experienced.
Regarding gender diversity though — or lack thereof in the hackathon community — we are excited to say that we will have a 50/50 gender ratio in hacker attendance!
Why? There are way too many perspectives to be heard from prospective hackers who may feel unwelcome at hackathons. But diversity doesn’t stop at gender equality.
Along with our 50/50 gender push, we are bringing in the most diverse group of mentors and sponsors we’ve ever had, who are eager to share their own unique perspectives to make everyone feel welcome. You will have direct access to these awesome and diverse technical mentors, to work with you. This means building on the success of Women@MHacks from MHacks 6; this means accepting more hackers with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Another issue we have to address regarding inclusivity is the cost of MHacks. Now, MHacks is free and always will be. But we recognize that it’s really hard for a lot of us to shell out hundreds of bucks for a flight. We can’t say we’re being more inclusive if you’re paying absurd travel costs to get here. That’s why we’ll be offering the most generous travel reimbursements possible to make sure you’ll join us come February.
All of this makes MHacks: Refactor a much more approachable hackathon to everyone — one that won’t overwhelm, but rather embrace.
Next, we’re adding to the equation, adding the tools we give hackers for them to succeed here.
Inclusive Community + Hacker Empowerment = Personal Development
If you want to go back to the start, click here.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Compliments (we like these!)? Shoot us an email (hackathon@umich.edu), message us on Facebook, DM us on Twitter, or tag us on Instagram!
