ID4ALL HACKATHON GUIDELINES

 1. Introduction

Having a valid piece of identification is a necessity that many people take for granted. However, for many individuals living in poverty, getting a personal ID and keeping it safe is either impossible or not a priority. Service costs, a lack of affordable or stable housing, or being unemployed often prevent many individuals from having a valid personal ID.

Based on a common concern about the systemic barriers that individuals with no personal ID face to access social services and supports, in 2021 Kaleidoscope Social Impact, Social Pediatrics, and the Saint John Community Loan Fund, joined forces to identify potential mitigating solutions to the challenges encountered by this demographic. The outcome of that effort materialized in the form of a research paper called “Eyeing the ID: Bio-metric Banking for Saint John”.

Fast forward to 2024 Kaleidoscope Social Impact in coordination with Civic Tech Saint John fueled by their commitment to social inclusion has taken a proactive step by organizing a Hackathon called “ID4ALL Hackathon”. Teams with a variety of skill sets are invited to participate and use the research paper as a pivotal resource, to work collaboratively to create awareness of personal ID and explore alternative innovations.

2. Objective

To foster a space for creativity and innovation by bringing together multidisciplinary creative minds.  Through collaboration, teams will develop solutions to help social service providers create greater awareness of personal government identification.  This will help individuals acquire and maintain personal ID and assist in overcoming systemic barriers to social resources and service delivery.

3. Problem statement

The social exclusion experienced by individuals without identification due to systemic barriers impeding service delivery to them, and the lack of awareness about access to personal ID among that population.

4. The question for this Hackathon

How could local social service providers create greater awareness of and access to personal government identification, to help individuals overcome systemic barriers to social resources and service delivery?

5. The solution

Your solution must be multi-focused to meet this challenge. It will likely involve technology or alternative innovations, creating awareness of the needs and opportunities of personal identification, and an action plan to implement the solution. It is likely the best solution will be an integration of these components.

6. The teams

  • To participate in the contest, registered participants need to be part of a team (5 members maximum and 4 members minimum).

  • Participants can build their teams considering diverse skill sets. Otherwise, they will receive support from the organizers to find a team to join.

  • By registering your team to participate in the Hackathon, each team member confirms their acknowledgment and acceptance of the guidelines and conditions for this event.

  • Teams will have access to resources such as a research paper and community experts, to kick-start their creativity and build solutions that could create greater awareness of and access to personal ID.

  • Throughout two scheduled PreHack Nights teams will have the opportunity to connect with different stakeholders, and work in coordination with a mentor before the final Hachakthon.

  • Registrations will be open from February 9th to March 8th at 11:59 pm AST. A confirmation of your registration will be sent via email.

7. Timeline

8. Eligibility

You are at least 18 years of age.

You are currently living in Greater Saint John, NB

You or at least two members of your team are enrolled in a post-secondary institution, are recent graduates, or are young professionals.

You are willing to commit to the whole process as indicated in the guidelines.

Teams with diverse backgrounds and a combination of skills are welcome.

Registered participants need to be part of a team.

9. How to participate

Each team member must register using the link provided.

Registrations open February 9th.

10. Rules of the competition

  • Teams must have a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 5 members.

  • Teams should be made up exclusively of registered participants who are not organizers, volunteers, judges, or sponsors.

  • All team members must commit to attending the Launch event and the Hackathon.

  • At least 2 team members must attend the two scheduled PreHack Nights for their teams to be eligible to win a prize.

  • The completion of two PreHack Nights and participation in the Hackathon will entitle team members to acquire a digital badge.

  • Each team will have a designated mentor which will be assigned at the First PreHack Night.

  • Teams must follow the guidelines and the Code of Conduct.

  • Solutions must not violate any author, patent, or intellectual property rights of a third party. A disclaimer regarding this matter will be provided by the organizers for each participating team to sign it.

11. Evaluation criteria

  1. The judges will evaluate each solution according to the following criteria:

  2. (20%) Creativity

  3. (20%) Feasibility

  4. (20%) Client-centered design

  5. (20%) Social impact

  6. (20%) Final Presentation 

12. The Judges

  • The judges will be formed by representatives from different sectors. They will be introduced to the participant teams at the Hackathon event.

13. Judging rubric