FAQ
What is DATAnalyze?
We've designed DATAnalyze to be an online hackathon that combines a tech conference, a career fair, and a product competition to connect and support aspiring software engineers, innovative entrepreneurs, and digital creatives, no matter where you are! You will have many chances to learn from and network with our mentors and speakers, recruited from world's top tech companies and from your own backyard! You will also meet participants, teammates, and friends around the world. Of course, our sponsors and partners are also here to find out about you and your goals so they can point you in the right direction, sometimes through their own doors! You will also have the opportunity to earn prizes, maybe even internship offers and job interviews, by designing, building, and presenting projects that highlight your beliefs and talents.
Who can participate in DATAnalyze?
Everyone! All you have to do is visit our registration page and complete the right form. We've designed DATAnalyze to accommodate you, no matter who you are, even if you don't have any experience. Our mentors and speakers are here to help you, our sponsors and partners will provide resources for you, and our staff and volunteers will help you navigate and understand the event. As part of our ongoing commitments towards underserved and overlooked communities, we have also placed a special emphasis on connecting and supporting participants from all 105 HBCUs, as well as connecting all of you with teammates and new friends around the world. Of course, we equally welcome all participants who uphold our key community values and support each other. If you have questions or concerns, message us on Discord.
Where will DATAnalyze take place?
Everywhere! Due to the ongoing pandemic, we encourage all of you to be careful. You are all welcome to take full advantage of our online format, similar to the one we helped create for the European Commission's EUvsVirus Hackathon + Matchathon, which hosted 30,000+ participants around the world. Some of our sponsors and partners may host local onsite events, but we ask that all of you take the necessary precautions for your own health and safety, as well as to protect other members of your community. For more key information regarding these local onsite events, be sure to check our Discord and social media for their announcements. In the end, onsite attendance is not required in any way, so whether you participate online or onsite, you are all equal participants in DATAnalyze, and our judges will accept all of your submissions for unified evaluations.
When will DATAnalyze happen?
DATAnalyze is a 7-week event that starts on 2021 October 8 and ends on 2021 November 21. Check our schedule for speakers! Throughout this event, we hope you will gain experience with proposing abstracts, analyzing data, visualizing results, and presenting conclusions. On Weekend 5, you will be able to start submitting your projects and voting for your favorites! This will also help our judges select winners. We will host our awards ceremony on the sixth weekend (November 12-14), then showcase our winners to prospective employers on the seventh and final weekend (November 19-21).
How can I participate in DATAnalyze?
Register HERE to participate! You can also join our Discord and follow us on social media. We will communicate all the necessary information through these channels. Each participant may join as many teams and, from October 29 through November 7, submit as many projects as desired, but each submission may only list six team members, so please plan accordingly. When we open submissions on October 29, we will frequently announce the guidelines to make sure that all of you are ready to put forth your best projects and impress our sponsors and partners, who are all excited to offer you amazing prizes, internships, and jobs!
I need help! What do I do to compete?
Read through this Google Doc to get started!
As our Diamond Sponsor, Microsoft is providing Responsible AI Toolkits to help you get started! Check the Responsible AI Overview for more information. Also, our Datasets Sponsor WorldData.AI is providing access to 3.3 BILLION DATASETS for free if you sign up on their website! Of course, you are welcome to find and use your own data. Whatever you decide to do, remember these steps:
(1) Propose your abstracts
(2) Analyze your data
(3) Visualize your results
(4) Present your conclusions in a two-minute video
(5) Submit your projects before November 7
(6) Promote your submissions to gain votes!
The projects with the most votes will advance to finalist judging, then our winners will receive prizes and be invited to an online showcase that will further highlight them for prospective schools and employers. Just remember to build projects for any of the following six tracks:
ATHLETICS & ENTERTAINMENT
BUSINESS & FINANCE
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
POLITICS & SOCIETY
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
OTHER
For additional help with this entire process, you can also connect with our other mentors on our Discord. All you need to do is ask for help! We are also preparing a spreadsheet that lists the skills and availabilities of our mentors so you can easily find the help you want.
I’ve noticed some community members doing and/or saying controversial things. What should I do about this?
Our staff members and moderators are on our Discord, so you can message them directly to report anything that violates our key community values. However, you may also message our team directly to report serious violations that may require additional attention.
I was kicked from the Discord server! What happened?
One of our staff members or moderators may believe that you violated our key community values in a serious manner that required immediate action. However, if you believe that you were kicked in error, you are welcome to email scotty@techtreeroot.org directly.
