Develop for Good and have a chance to win tickets to I/O 2013!

By Anna de Paula Hanika, Google.org

Would you like to use your coding skills to significantly improve the world, and have the chance to win tickets to Google I/O 2013 for your efforts? Google.org has joined forces with the I/O Extended team to bring you the "Develop for Good" Hackathon. We’re looking for hackers to tackle issues around repressive regimes, engaging citizens in politics and enabling us all to be greener!

Almost anyone can participate in the hackathon from just about anywhere in the world. Many of the Extended events are already hosting hackathons, so we encourage you to find an event near you or start your own. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, Google.org will be hosting a ‘Develop for Good’ hackathon at the San Francisco I/O Extended event.

Here are the three challenges developed by the Google teams:

1. Google Ideas: Conflict reporting for blackout situations in repressive regimes.
2. Google Politics & Elections: Citizen Engagement for Politics & Elections.
3. Google Green: Help us all be a little bit greener!

Developers can start preparing, and even coding, right away and then bring their ideas to the Extended event Hackathons during I/O (though we welcome you to participate even if you’re unable to attend an event). Pencils down on Friday night—hacks must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on June 29, 2012 via this form.

After June 29th a team of Googlers will judge the submissions for each challenge. We will announce the winning hacks for each challenge by about August 1st, 2012. There will be one winning hack selected from each challenge area, and each will receive up to 5 tickets to I/O 2013, along with the honorary title of "Google Developer for Good, 2012". In addition, we’ll award one of the latest Chromebooks to each member of the team producing the best web app across all three challenges.

If you are interested in getting involved, we recommend signing up for an I/O Extended event near you and then checking with the organizer to see whether a hackathon is part of the agenda  -- or hosting your own Extended event and hackathon!

Find further details of the challenges, prizes, submission guidelines and hackathon rules on the I/O Extended organizers' website.

Anna de Paula Hanika is a Product Marketing Manager on the Google.org team, currently focused on Google's Green and Giving efforts, and all things related to using technology to make the world a better place!

Posted by Ashleigh Rentz, Editor Emerita