Office of Enterprise Technology Services

HONOLULU –– There’s still time for coders and innovators of all ages to sign up for the Hawaii Annual Code Challenge (HACC), being hosted by Gov. David Y. Ige, the Office of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) and the State of Hawaii Transformation Internship Program (TIP) to engage the local tech community in ensuring an efficient, effective and open government.

The month-long HACC kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Aloha Tower Marketplace (Multi-Purpose Room 3).

HACC is open to everyone, from students to professionals to amateurs “born to code.” Participants are invited to compete in elementary school, middle school, high school, college and open categories. For Neighbor Island residents, the event will be live-streamed with the opportunity to interact remotely. For more information, visit HACC.hawaii.gov. Registration is available online or onsite at the kickoff.

“With more than 100 participants already registered, we’re impressed by the great interest shown by the tech community,” said state Chief Information Officer Todd Nacapuy. “We are grateful for the support from the professional and non-profit community, who likewise see the value of developing our local IT workforce.”

In coordinating the HACC, ETS partnered with the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, DevLeague, Hawaii Open Data, Blue Startups, Sultan Ventures, and XLR8UH. Award prizes are being underwritten by sponsors such as Hawaiian Electric and Verizon. Additional support is being provided by DataHouse, eWorld Enterprise Solutions, Socrata, Uber, Unisys, DRFortress, and Hawaiian Telcom.

A first of its kind for the state, HACC is a creative twist on a hackathon, a problem-solving event that brings together creative individuals over a set duration. Rather than the traditional around-the-clock development over a single day or weekend, HACC will offer an extended period for development over one month to encourage interaction with department personnel to ensure solutions’ sustainability.

The kickoff event will include team formation and challenge presentations from various state departments, as well as foundational training and workshops throughout the day. Teams will select from the challenges and then work over the next several weeks to develop their solutions. Participants will return on Sept. 24 to present their solutions for judging and winner selection. Awards will go to top participants, and outstanding projects will be considered for implementation.

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