Hackathons provide a platform for self-expression and creative group problem solving.  Participants with various levels of expertise and backgrounds come together, form teams around a problem and collaboratively prototype a unique solution from scratch. 
“Hackathons, like other design events, are potentially very valuable sites for the practice of design justice. They are often crucibles of intense and focused learning, making, problem-solving, community building, and play.” [Sasha Costanza-Chock, Design Justice]

The work that is created today will be incorporated into a series of LookBooks for Equity and shared with partners and other residents and stakeholders in Boston. The LookBook will be  redistributed (with permission) from there to other community members. These LookBooks will become part of a larger archive that we are co-designing together starting today!

You will have access to student volunteers,  archivists  and community leaders all day.  You will also have access to many physical materials - sketch books, sticky notes, sharpies, etc to help you develop your ideas.

We will sort participants into teams based on their interest in the different questions, and you will find out who is on your team and what question you will be hacking on the day. We will be trying to ensure that each team is inter-generational and has a variety of different perspectives on it to create a truly collaborative experience. You do not need to form a team ahead of time to register for the hackathon.

The ideas that come out of the hackathon ideas will be shared with partners for potential implementation, and may also live on in a future Hacking the Archive archive!