GlobalHack VI brought developers, designers, technologists, and entrepreneurs together to solve a civic technology problem centered around homelessness.
GlobalHack VI challenged hundreds of participants across youth, collegiate, and pro divisions to build software solutions over the course of an entire weekend. The event focused on civic technology and on improving coordinated services for people experiencing homelessness.
The hackathon was held from Friday, October 21 to Sunday, October 23, 2016, at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, on the campus of Saint Louis University.
Homelessness is a global problem with many contributing factors, including poverty, education, race, and mental health. GlobalHack VI asked teams to create software that helps agencies like the St. Patrick Center and other service providers better answer the question: how can we do more with less?
The mission of the St. Patrick Center is to help individuals and families move from homelessness to independence in dignified, cost-effective, and permanent ways.
A total of $1 million in cash prizes was awarded for GlobalHack VI. $750,000 went to award winners, and $250,000 was reserved for project implementation. From the three first-place teams, an additional $150,000 Grand Prize was awarded to the highest scoring team.
A $2,500 prize was awarded to the team that displayed the Best Team Spirit through costumes, uniforms, social posts, and helping beginner teams.
$250,000 in follow-on grants was set aside for people or teams interested in implementing the top prototypes built at GlobalHack VI.
Prizes were awarded to the top five teams in Youth, College, and Pro divisions.
| Place | Youth | College | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | $50,000 | $100,000 | $125,000 |
| 2nd Place | $25,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 |
| 3rd Place | $10,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| 4th Place | $5,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| 5th Place | $2,500 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
1 S Compton Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63103
Partner hotels included Chase Park Plaza, Parkway Hotel, Drury Inn Union Station, Pear Tree Inn Union Station, and Hotel Ignacio.
UberX was estimated at $30, taxi at $40, and St. Louis MetroLink at $4 one-way from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
Parking was limited at Chaifetz Arena, so attendees were encouraged to use hotel transportation, taxis, or rideshare services.
Visa letters were available by request for registered attendees with confirmed travel. Requests were sent to email and included full name, country of citizenship, country of residence, and travel dates to the US.
GlobalHack VI brought together software developers, graphic designers, technologists, and entrepreneurs to solve a single civic technology problem centered around homelessness.
Software developers, front-end and UX designers, project managers, and other technologists of all technical skill levels were welcome to compete.
Admission included wifi, five meals, an event t-shirt, and workspace with long tables and power strips for the weekend.
Teams had a minimum of two and a maximum of eight members. Teams could be pre-formed, or individuals could find teammates during team formation on Friday.
The challenge centered around ending homelessness. Full challenge details were released during the Opening Ceremony.
Teams could use public source code, libraries, SDKs, and APIs as long as those resources were publicly discoverable and available before the event.
GlobalHack VI did not provide travel reimbursements, but buses were organized from a handful of cities and schools.
International attendees could request a visa letter by emailing with their full name, citizenship, residence, and dates of travel.