Presented by the Regional Tech Council
Designers, Programmers, Problem-solvers: There’s a New Bowling Green on the Horizon.
For pixel pushers, code slingers, and everyone in between.
Hackathon Part 1: Community & Work; May 11, 2024.
Bowling Green, Kentucky is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Commonwealth. Now more than ever, we’re asking ourselves what the future may hold for our mid-sized town, and we have every intention of capitalizing on that potential! In recent years, a myriad of initiatives have been launched to foster economic development and bolster the already booming cultural hotbed that is BG, KY. And now, we’re adding hackathons to that catalog! Introducing: Imagine_BGKY, a two-part hackathon series dedicated to harnessing and unleashing the potential of Bowling Green.
Illuminate
If you're ready to take on this innovation challenge, chances are you know something we don't. We invite you to exercise that perspective and focus your talents on spearheading positive change.
Innovate
How often are you asked to do something that's never been done before? The future of Bowling Green is in your hands. Make it yours.
Collaborate
In our pilot Hackathon, teams of five will have the day to imagine, craft, and present a solution to the prompt. The team with the strongest submission, per the ImagineBGKY rubric, wins!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Imagine_BGKY Hackathon is a social coding and creation competition where programmers, designers, businesspeople, and community developers collaborate nonstop to solve a problem.
To register yourself for the pilot hackathon, Imagine_BGKY: Community & Work, You must be 18 and up*. Be prepared to show ID to enter.
*An exception applies for 16 and 17-year-olds who are currently enrolled fulltime at an accredited University.
Anyone with a passion for creativity and innovation who meets the age requirement is welcome to apply to this event. While experience with coding and programming is a huge plus, teams will also hugely benefit from people with design backgrounds, strong presentation skills, and/or brilliant ideas.
You do not need to already have a team formed to sign up. However, participants are more than welcome to request specific team members via the registration form. Please ensure that each member fills out the registration form individually. Don’t have 5 people? No team at all? No problem! We will carefully assign every participant to a team prior to the event.
Event registration is totally free. If participating, please be prepared to pay for lunch and/or snacks from a selection of surrounding restaurants. Parking is free.
You can register (for free) by completing the Imagine_BGKY registration form. The form takes less than 3 minutes to complete and functions as your “application.” We will contact you by email (and potentially phone number) if you are accepted. Participants will know their team a week before the event at the latest.
The Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus (formerly known as the Center for Research and Development) on May 11th, 2024 from 8:00a – 9:00p.
The innovation campus is located at 2413 Nashville Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42101. Participants are welcome to park in the parking lot located at the front entrance.
Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or other mobile device to be used for developing/designing/etc. Computers will NOT be provided. It is also suggested that you bring money to purchase food from local eateries.
May 11, 2024 Agenda
8:00a – 8:30a Registration & Tours
8:30a – 9:00a Opening Remarks
9:00a – 1:00p Building
1:00p – 2:00p Lunch
2:00p – 5:00p Building 5:00p Demo Submission Deadline
5:00p – 6:00p Refine Presentations 6:00p Presentation Submission Deadline
6:00p – 7:00p Free Period
7:00p – 8:00p Presentations
8:00p – 9:00p Closing Remarks & Awards
Partners & Sponsors
The Imagine_BGKY Hackathon Series is brought to you by the WKU Innovation Campus and would not be possible without our amazing partners, sponsors, and volunteers.
Special thanks to the Hackathon planning committee: Kahlil Garmon, Nessa Unseld, Penny Hughes, Madison Whittle, Madisson Fowlkes, Mark Simpson, Josh Zaczek, Rob Wilson, and Jeremy Jacobs.