British Columbia’s largest women and gender-diverse* hackathon

connect-f mentorship program 2022

Application Deadline: Friday, September 30 @ 11:59PM PDT
Info Session: Monday, September 19 @ 7:00pm PM PDT

We are the cmd-f team of, the University of British Columbia’s student-led hackathon club, and we hope to empower aspiring programmers, designers, and tech enthusiasts. The connect-f mentorship program aims to offer mentorship to women and gender-diverse* high school students want to explore careers in tech! We are excited to provide the third iteration of connect-f to mentees who want to discover, learn, and kickstart their own adventure with technology.

how it works

High school mentees are matched with a post-secondary mentor working or studying in the career field of interest or a similar field. We want to provide the opportunity and experience to mentees for them to discover, learn, and prepare themselves to start their own adventure with technology.
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The mentor and students are encouraged to meet once per month from September to March with all meetings scheduled by mentors and mentees. They will engage in activities to help the mentee explore career opportunities in the tech industry, help with planning post-secondary education or training, learn new skills, and set goals. Some of these goals may be career or education-related, while others are social or recreational.

This mentorship program was kickstarted by the team behind British Columbia’s largest women and gender-diverse* 24-hour hackathon. Throughout this upcoming year, we will be offering various cmd-f phases to high school and post-secondary students to foster personal growth, network and skill-building, and career discovery!

*The cmd-f team would like to acknowledge that “female” or “women” is not an accurate description for many people and it may make some feel unwelcome. We use * to specifically and intentionally include cis women, as well as all trans, Two Spirit, non-binary and gender-diverse people.

Application Form
Info Session Form

Join us on March 11-12th at the UBC Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre to explore new technologies and celebrate women* in tech! More details will be released shortly

We're here to break stereotypes and create a safe space for women and gender-diverse individuals where they can learn new skills, build confidence, and discover a supportive community. Whether you're a first-time hacker or a veteran, we want to help you take your next steps in tech. Come join us for a fun weekend of hacking with amazing workshops and social events!

*The cmd-f team would like to acknowledge that “female” or “women” is not an accurate description for many people and it may make some feel unwelcome. We use * to specifically and intentionally include cis women, as well as all trans, Two Spirit, non-binary and gender-diverse people.
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nwPlus is always looking for new ventures, opportunities, and connections. If you are interested in working with us, joining us, or speaking at one of our events, feel free to reach out to us at
cmd-f@nwplus.io

Main Values

Building Confidence

cmd-f aims to help you build confidence and smash outdated stereotypes by learning invaluable skills and knowledge at our workshops and building a support network consisting of our amazing mentors and sponsors. Let's recognize that tech is a place where everyone belongs!

Learning together

Whether you have never coded before, or you dream in assembly, come out and challenge yourself to build something you can be proud of in a 24-hour event. Learn new skills in our series of hands-on workshops and apply them to innovative project ideas!

Women* supporting women

Discover a community of like-minded, creative, and passionate individuals. Build lasting bonds, share experiences, and create memories. We're all here unified under one cause - to strive for better representation of women* and gender minorities in tech.
Click to see the magic

FAQ

General
What if I don't have any experience?
Have no fear! Hackathons are really a place for learning and one of the best ways to do so. We'll have a series of workshops to bootstrap you for hacking, pitching, or designing. And when you run into any problems or questions, mentors will be happy to help you out. By the time you walk out, you will have new skills, friends, and a project under your belt!
Can I submit my cmd-f project to another hackathon?
Unfortunately, we do not allow cross-submissions or past projects for the sake of fairness. nwPlus has the right to revoke any prizes if it is found that the project has been started before cmd-f or used in other hackathons.
How does team formation work?
We have a #team-formation channel on Discord to help hackers find teammates - feel free to introduce yourself and DM others directly! We'll also be hosting a team-formation event morning of the event at 11:00am (March 5th) 👀
I'm a designer/grad/rad human! Can I attend?
Yes, we are excited to invite high school students and university students from all faculties! Great projects are more than just their code. New graduates are welcome as long as your graduation date is within one year of January 2022.
How much does it cost?
The hackathon is 100% free for all participants. However, registration is limited to high school students, university students, and recent graduates only.
What are stamps and how can I get them?
For most activities you partake in at cmd-f: sponsor booths, workshops, mini-activities, sponsor Q&As - you will have the opportunity to receive a stamp. Each stamp acts as a raffle ticket for a prize draw that we have at the end of the event!The more stamps you attain, the more "levels" you will level up on.
Who is eligible to participate in this event?
We welcome all hackers who identify as women, non-binary, agender, or intersex. You do not have to be a UBC student to attend; high school students, post-secondary students, and recent graduates (graduation date within one year of January 2022) are all eligible to participate. If you are interested in supporting the event as a mentor, we welcome non women*-identifying mentors.
What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is an event where teams collaborate on a project, or "hack", within a tight time limit. At cmd-f, teams collaborate over 24 hours to redefine the status quo, fulfill prize challenges, and create meaningful impact. Throughout the event, there are both technical and non-technical workshops along with industry mentors to provide guidance with building your project.
Team & Projects
Can I work on a previous project?
No, all projects must be built from scratch. However, you are welcome to brainstorm ideas beforehand. This rule is strictly adhered to and any team found working on previous projects will be automatically disqualified from the event, meaning that you would not be eligible for any prizes and reported to Major League Hacking (MLH). If you are using libraries (ex. React, Bootstrap) or tools that you have made in the past, don't worry, this does not apply. You can check out nwPlus' Self-Learning Resources Wiki at https://resources.nwplus.io! Please feel free to ask an organizer if you have any questions!
When can I start hacking?
Hacking is only allowed to begin after Opening Ceremonies on March 5th at 12:00pm PST. Before that time, you are welcome to brainstorm ideas, create a GitHub repository, and initialize your project with a boilerplate, as long as you do not do any actual coding.
How big can my team be?
Teams are usually 2-4 people in size as sponsor prizes are catered to a maximum of 4 hackers. While going solo is okay too, we want to encourage you to collaborate and learn from others!
Is there a theme for cmd-f?
We love seeing projects grow and stem from a variety of inspirations. cmd-f does not have a theme, but sponsored prizes may have specific criteria.
How will judging work?
Judging will be happening virtually through video submissions! We will be doing peer judging which means that each hacker will need to judge 3-4 other projects and give feedback. As cmd-f's focus is on feedback and learning, each team will receive written feedback on their project as well as an averaged rating from 1-5 on each rubric category.
What about prizes?
In order to focus more on the learning aspect of hackathons, we've decided to donate $20 to charity for every project submission. In addition, we will have overall first, second, and third place prizes! You can also check out our awesome sponsor prizes in the Portal’s sponsor tab and don’t forget to opt-in to them on project submission in Devpost.
What happens if I don't have a team?
Don't worry! A lot of hackers just like you are in the same position. On the first day of the event, we will make sure to pair everyone up with a team of hackers so no one gets left out! There will also be an opportunity to connect with people and form teams before the event via our Discord server (after we confirm your registration).
Logistics
I’ve registered/RSVPed but I can no longer attend!
No worries! You don't need to contact us if you can't make it anymore, but if you are part of a team, please let your teammates know.
When is the registration deadline?
Hacker registrations and mentor applications are open through March 2nd 11:59pm PST, 2022.
How are registrations assessed?
Our registration process is first-come-first serve, but we do place an emphasis on responses that display more thought and effort.

Sponsors

Become a Mentor