FAQs

What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is fun event where people gather to turn crazy ideas into real solutions/products. This hackathon aims to bring together students from across campus in all disciplines to gather and solve real problems of interest relevant to planet Earth. Many of us have a passion to protect and preserve our planet, and the big earth hackathon aims to realize these passions in a tangible way through using different data sets available about the Earth system.

Who is invited?
Big Earth Hackathon's are open to any enrolled Stanford student (undergrad or grad). Postdocs are invited to join too.

How big can my team be?
Teams can be anywhere from 1-4 students.

What if I want to be on a team, but don't have one?
Sign up as an individual and we will have the opportunity for individuals or pairs to mingle and form teams on the spot.

Can I work on a project that I've already started?
While many projects will be "freshly baked" over the eight week event, you are welcome to work on something you are already passionate about and have worked on previously. Judges will of course take into account the level of prior work in evaluating your final product/solution.

What if I don't know how to code?
Big Earth Water Hackathon is a great place and time to learn how to code if you want to pursue a software/data driven hack. We will provide mentors and mini-workshops to help you get up-and-running. You can also join a team with more seasoned coders.

Do I need to take the class to participate?

Signing up for the class is not necessary to participate in the hackathon. The three unit is course is offered as a means to provide participants with guidance with their project and the opporunity to ear units in the process of participating. The first few weeks of the class will provide students with the chance to to learn some of the current issues related to wildland fires and to define their project with the guidance of some mentors.

How long is the event?

The WIldland Fire Challenge begins on April 3, and ends on June 2 with a Project Expo. Details about the Project Expo will be posted in early/mid May.