It annoyed me that only one can fill in the form and apply in all competitions, while in hackathons, we work as a team together. Vickathon lets all students in each team contribute, collaborate, brainstorm and initiate, even though they are in different locations. Thus they feel proactive and meaningful.
We hosted about 20 hackathons over Vickathon, with some schools more than once. Schools' staff, students, mentors, and judges gave as great feedback.
We design an online file based on the students' age, language, and hackathon topic.
Each team receives a link to the Vickathon internet app and a code for a shared online file to develop their innovative idea.
A countdown timer is updated as the file sections are opened to create a sense of urgency to meet the deadlines and a sense of gaming.
Mentors have their code and can see the teams' progress before helping. It saves time for the teams since they don't have to explain their actions repeatedly to the mentors.
Moderators can see all team files and see who needs help in real-time. This keeps teams from leaving because they feel stuck.
Vickathon integrates short tutorials that enable teams to progress independently.
Students work in parallel and embed presentations, videos, and images.
Judges score students' ideas on Vickathon...
1. My first main achievement was the first national virtual hackathon for students in Israel, in which students from 5 schools in grades 3rd-6th took part. To do it, I published wherever I could about this hackathon.
2. The Technion institution ran twice a hackathon over Vickathon for its academic students.
3. I hosted about 10 international hackathons with students from different countries and cultures who tried to solve worldwide issues.
4. I received recognition from the international organization Women Tech Network.
5. Vickathon was chosen as one of the top 50 ventures in the Startup Wheel 2020 international competition.
6. In Vietnam, they ran a hackathon over Vickathon in their language.
In the next 1-2 years I wish to host many more hackathons for all ages and internationals.
We should hold an online meeting. I'll demonstrate how Vickathon works and the methodology for running an experiential hackathon.
Please feel free to contact Galit Zamler at Galitz@galitzamler.com or schedule our online meeting at https://calendly.com/galitzamler/online-meeting-with-galit-zamler
