Challenge Description

The Erie Hack is a data and engineering competition that unites coders, developers, engineers, and water experts to generate enduring solutions to Lake Erie’s biggest challenges. The competition includes $100,000 in prizes for the most creative and effective hacks. Working from the challenge statements derived from ideation sessions with NASA representatives and regional stakeholders, teams are charged with creating digital tools, hardware innovations, and engineering solutions that build “the Blue Economy”: the emergent economic sector dedicated to the sustainable stewardship of bodies of freshwater around the globe. The Erie Hack provides regional high school students, college students, and professionals the opportunity to combine their own expertise with solid mentoring to create technologies with the potential to invigorate Lake Erie’s environment and economy.

The Erie Hack includes a number of hacking days and events across the Lake Erie Basin. The competition kicks off on February 23 with the official launch and concludes with the Water Technology Summit on May 2–3.

Check out the timeline below for an overview of key dates and events for details and registration.

Register to officially join the competition so that you can start or join a team.

RULES & ELIGIBILITY

IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN ERIE HACK PRIZES, YOU MUST:

• Be registered as an individual and sign the ErieHack Participation Agreement on ErieHack.io by April 12
• Be registered to a Team, with no more than five members, on ErieHack.io. New teams can register until 5pm the day before their local Quarter Final. Existing teams may continue to add new members (up to five total) through April 12.
  • If you’ve already created a team or identified one you plan to join, use ErieHack.io to make it official.
  • If you’re already registered and you want to join a team, check the profiles of teams in your area and contact anyone whose skills and interests compliment your needs.
  • If you’re having trouble connecting, reach out to your local Erie Hack support staff on the Cities page to arrange an introduction or contact the Cleveland Water Alliance at ErieHack@clewa.org
• Be 18 years or older unless participating on a High School Team
• Select a challenge statement and a corresponding toolkit of data resources and development platforms.
• Participate in (only) one of the regional Quarter Finals. Remote participation or local proxy available with due notice.
• Be selected for and participate in the Semi-Finals in Detroit. Remote participation or local proxy available with due notice.
• Be selected for and participate in the Finals in Cleveland. Attendance mandatory for all finalists
• Be registered as a business in your state of origin in order to be considered for a prize at the Final. Each team will receive an award of $500 upon their selection as finalists to cover the cost of registration and travel as well as to support the advancement of their projects.
• Submit only one project at each judging session

IN ORDER TO ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO:

• Sign and follow the stipulations of the Data Sharing Agreement in order to gain access to the Erie Hack Data Portal
• Attend Information Sessions and Hacking Days in any Erie Hack city.
• Work closely with Erie Hack Expert Mentors
• Use the tools provided by CWA and their co-organizers (e.g., IBM’s Bluemix and GE’s Predix), and any other applicable software and hardware.
• Contact their local Erie Hack support staff through the Cities page or CWA at ErieHack@clewa.org with any material or technical support needs.

JUDGING & CRITERIA

Judging Process Details

Judging Criteria for Quarter, Semi, and Final Rounds

TIMELINE

These are the key dates and check-points for the competition. To find more event details, and to register for events, check out Events.