Students to compete in mobile media 'hackathon'

The Ford Foundation is sponsoring the mobile media "hackathon" Nov. 2-3
The Ford Foundation is sponsoring the mobile media "hackathon" Nov. 2-3

Student teams can win one of three $1,000 prizes this weekend in a mobile application or website creation contest supported by funding from the Ford Foundation.

On Nov. 2 from 4 to 9 p.m., and Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., students with skills ranging from ideas to development to design can work together to create a crowd-sourced data application or mobile website that will help the Ford Foundation's social justice grantees working in Africa.

The mobile media "hackathon" will be in the College of Journalism and Mass Communication's Andersen Hall, room 15. Dinner will be provided on Nov. 2 and breakfast and lunch will be provided Nov. 3. Students will be placed in teams to compete for three $1,000 prizes.

The hackathon is designed to bring together students from any disciplines who want to use mobile devices to help solve real-world problems.

Organizer Gary Kebbel said winners of the hackathon will be invited to discuss their work at a mobile media conference for developers and journalists Nov. 30 at the Omaha World-Herald. That event also is supported by funding from the Ford Foundation.

Contest judges will be Matt Waite, journalism professor Adam Wagler, Educational Media multimedia designer; Cody Elmore, advertising student, and Kebbel.

For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/JusticeHack2012?ref=ts&fref=ts