HACK BALTIMORE is the first large-scale, citywide innovation event that teams up technologist, civic leaders
and city residents to design “sustainable” solutions for Baltimore’s biggest challenges.
We recognize America’s deepening inequality in Housing, Education, Public Safety, Workforce Development,
Health & Wellness and Transportation. HACK BALTIMORE suggests that, “the heroes we have been waiting for
are right in our backyard”.
You don’t have to be a technologist to be a part of this broad civic tech movement, but if we are going to begin
restoring faith in our institutions we need everyone to show up and support Baltimore with the tools that they
already have.
On May 8th – May 10th , civic hackers from across the city
will team-up with community change-makers and
leverage technology to positively impact Baltimore.
It will be held at The Columbus Center in Downtown Baltimore
1.- HACK BALTIMORE, in collaboration with Baltimore community leaders and city agencies, will identify challenges impacting Baltimore by using our *HB City Backlog portal.hackbaltimore.io
2.- HACK BALTIMORE will host *Design Jams throughout the city. This is where Baltimore civic techs, industry thought-leaders, community advocates and engaged citizens discuss and vet the *HB challenges submitted.
3.- The challenges are highlighted on the HACK BALTIMORE City Backlog portal.hackbaltimore.io where they will be shared for a city-wide *TEAM SELECTION.
4.- During the HACK BALTIMORE techfest teams will be *grouped into categories based on their key focus area. Those groups will then showcase their solutions throughout the weekend event.
Hack Baltimore will be powered by a central platform where every civic-focused organization can submit a problem. Each problem will be vetted by teams of user researchers and subject matter experts to ensure the problem is refined, solvable and accessible before being shared with the community.
Those that are approved will be posted publicly within the platform and after approval the submitter will have the opportunity to post additional information, videos, and other artifacts to spark interest in solving their specific problem.
Anyone who submits a problem must have a vested interest in seeing the project through to completion, so all submitters will be required to champion their project and actually use the solution that gets built.
Our mission is to build sustainable solutions that have a lasting impact beyond the few days of the hackathon.
Baltimore is a unique and vibrant city, and though there are many reasons why we’re called “Charm City”, we tend to make the news for our flaws rather than our strengths. And hackathons are a great way to engage the broader community to explore technology as a way to help solve them.
