by OnSight | May 2014 | Google, Press and Media
Coding for good at the Google GovDev Challenge.
About 120 coders, hackers, and software developers from around the region gathered at Galvanize in Denver on a sunny Saturday morning for the very first Google GovDev Challenge, a two-day live coding competition. The Google GovDev Challenge was created with the intent to improve citizen service, as well as to find creative solutions to challenges faced by state agencies. Winning teams took home up to $5,000 in awards.
On the first day of coding, participating partners, the State of Colorado and the State of Wyoming, presented the following three challenges to coders:
Challenge 1: Disaster Assistance Center Automation
Sponsoring agency: State of Colorado
Challenge 2: Disaster Assistance Center Materials Management
Sponsoring agency: State of Colorado
Challenge 3: Budget Data Transparency
Sponsoring agency: State of Wyoming
Participating coders had 24 hours to create solutions to the three challenges. Each challenge was judged based on the following categories:
- How well it solves the challenge (40%)
- Originality of the idea (20%)
- Technical merit (20%)
- Use of Google tools (20%)
Through the duration of the challenge, OnSight worked with Google and event partners and provided media relations consulting for the event. OnSight helped arrange and foster a partnership with Denver’s 9News that provided media coverage throughout the first-ever Google GovDev Challenge.
Here are a few clips of event coverage:
The Denver Post: Hackathons: Giving back to the community, one line of code at a time
Civic hackathons, popping up more frequently over the past couple of years, are turning into the geek’s way of giving back to the community.
Google partnered with Colorado and Wyoming a week ago to host a hackfest in Denver, where about 150 software developers hunkered down for a marathon, 24-hour coding session.
Participants ranged from hobbyists to partners at tech companies.
Their mission? To create solutions for challenges facing local and state governments.
KUSA-TV (9News): Coders challenged to create disaster app
KUSA – It’s a challenge to computer coders everywhere.
In Denver 150 of the country’s best software programmers are battling it out to create an internet app.
9NEWS reporter Eric Egan takes you into the world of a Google hack-a-thon in the video above.
Fremont County Radio: Wyoming Developers Win 1st, 2nd & 3rd Places at First Ever Google GovDev Competition
Lander, WY, May 21, 2014: Approximately 28 professional development teams from across Wyoming and Colorado gathered to participate in the opportunity to win up to $5000 from Google. Code Rangers, a Wyoming team made up of Wyolution co-owners Jared Kail and Mark Thoney, Sheridan Programmers Guild Owner, Anne Gunn, and Gannett Peak Technical Services Owner, Tighe Fagan won first place, and Gannett Peak Technical Services owner Ryan Fagan’s team, Auditor Search, won third place in the Wyoming Sponsored Category: Budget Data Transparency Challenge. Second place was given to Speed Goats, a Wyoming team made up of Lee Pepper of County 10 and Pitchengine, Jordan Dean, Marshall Moore, Shawn Becker and Jonathan Barella in the Colorado Sponsored Category: Disaster Assistance Center Materials Management.
According to govdevchallenge.com, software developers were given 24-hours to code and find creative solutions to challenges faced by government agencies in Colorado and Wyoming. Participants needed to make use of at least one Google tool in the final project. The competition offered one Wyoming challenge and two Colorado challenges for developers to take-on. Wyoming’s challenge was Budget Data Transparency, and the two Colorado challenges were Disaster Assistance Center Automation, and Disaster Assistance Center Materials Management.
County 10: Two Lander men among top placers in last weekend’s coding challenge in Denver
(Denver, Colo.) – Two Lander men, including one of County10′s own developers, took top spots in last weekend’s Google GovDev Challenge. The event brought computer coders from across Colorado and Wyoming to compete in a 24-hour coding contest, which was sponsored by both states.
County10′s Lee Pepper, as part of the Speed Goats team, took second place in the Disaster Assistance Center Automation challenge sponsored by the State of Colorado. Twelve teams participated in that challenge.
GovTech.com: Google’s GovDev Challenge Provides Real Solutions for Government
On May 18, Google wrapped up its first GovDev challenge, a 24-hour hackathon that challenged local software developers and entrepreneurs to solve problems facing state agencies in Colorado and Wyoming. More than 100 developers joined with government workers, community groups and organizers in Denver for the event, and when the coding was done, nine teams were awarded cash prizes. Officials said the event was a success because it produced software they may ultimately use in their businesses, it sparked new relationships between government and the public, and it gave their agencies new ideas on how to work.
At the start of the event, three challenges were announced, two for Colorado and one for Wyoming, and teams and individuals selected a challenge and began working.
by OnSight | Apr 2014 | Press and Media
7th grader Ryan Shea being interviewed by several local media news outlets.
A talented student in Lakewood could soon have his art on the Google homepage for hundreds of millions to see! On April 29, OnSight worked with Google to announce and publicize the Colorado Winner of its seventh annual Doodle 4 Google Contest.
This year’s contest was open to K-12 students across the United States to redesign the Google logo inspired by the theme “If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place…”
Ryan Shea, a 7th-grader from Creighton Middle School in Lakewood was named the Colorado State Winner for his doodle, “The Universal Nexus”, depicting a connection that would allow humans to explore the universe and create junctions between our past, present, and future.
Ryan’s doodle was selected from the tens of thousands of entries received this year and the students’ amazing ideas ranged from water purification to advanced robotics and nutrition solutions.
To help their favorites succeed, everyone across the USA can vote for their favorite doodle from the 50 state winners. Voting will be open from April 29 to May 9 on this site: http://www.google.com/doodle4google/vote.html, and the public vote will determine the five national finalists (one in each grade group).
Google will announce these five national finalists and one of them as the national winner on May 21 at an awards ceremony at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, which all 50 state winners will be invited to.
The winning student will work with Google’s team of professional doodlers to animate their doodle — for the first time ever! The animated doodle will be displayed on the Google homepage on June 9. The winner will also take home a $30,000 college scholarship and his or her school will receive a $50,000 Google for Education grant toward the establishment and improvement of a computer lab or technology program.
Vote for Colorado’s winning entry!
On hand, along with several hundred enthusiastic Creighton middle-schoolers, were Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy, school principal Nick Kemmer, and Jefferson County School Board President Ken Witt.
Ryan spoke a few words to the supportive audience, and then stuck around to give several interviews to local media outlets.
Read More:
Denver Post: Lakewood 7th-grader Ryan Shea is Colorado Doodle 4 Google winner
KUSA-TV: 7th grader doodles his way towards Internet fame
KDVR-TV: Doodle 4 Google winner in Colorado now in national contest
by OnSight | Apr 2014 | Social Media, Web Communications
Colorado River Ducky is riding the pulse flow on the Colorado River.
The Colorado River hasn’t reached the Gulf of California for generations, but for the first time in years, that may change. Right now, a “pulse flow” — a one-time release of water from a reservoir — is making its way down the Colorado River.
In order to inform people of this endeavor, we’ve worked with water conservation organizations to create the Colorado River Ducky, an interactive avatar that follows the path of the pulse flow and posts updates on social media and online. The social media effort – consisting primarily of a Facebook page, Twitter account and micro site – is bringing attention to this historical process. Creating a narrative “story” of the pulse flow’s history and effects through the eyes of the Ducky is making the Pulse Flow relatable, fun, interesting, and engaging for coalition participants and the public alike.
The Colorado River Ducky web site is highlighting some of the major landmarks in the pulse flow project, and the Twitter and Facebook page are active, and already seeing tons of interaction, including two mentions from the Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr), and dozens of RTs in the first week alone, including from the 10,309-follower @GobiernoBC account.
Colorado River Ducky Photobombs the Pulse Flow
by OnSight | Apr 2014 | Ride The Rockies
Once again, we sought out a few enthusiastic riders who share our excitement for Ride The Rockies to join forces and become guest bloggers for Ride The Rockies 2014! These “Peak Pedalers” will help us capture the spirit and tell the story of this summer’s ride. The contest involves voting on social media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), as well as drawing viewers to the Ride The Rockies web site. RTR fans vote on their favorites, and winners are selected based on a writing sample, their vote tally, and the unique perspective they will bring to blogging over the spring and through ride week.
This year’s finalists include a busy mom riding with her elderly father, a Hawiian triathlete, an out-of-shape middle-aged southern gentleman, and husband and wife team battling Parkinson’s, and a personal trainer who has never done Ride The Rockies before!
We can’t wait to have them introduce themselves readers and see RTR 2014 through their eyes…
by OnSight | Apr 2014 | Connect for Health Colorado
As of April 14, 2014, Connect for Health Colorado successfully enrolled more than 300,000 Coloradans, with 217,233 of those signed up for private health insurance. The open enrollment period lasted from October 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014. Those unable to complete their enrollment before the March 31 deadline were given until April 15 to finish enrolling.
Despite kinks with the federal health exchange, aka Obamacare, Connect for Health Colorado was largely able avoid tech and customer service glitches and help insurance-seekers in an efficient manner. In the end, Colorado’s marketplace was ranked four out of the 14 state exchanges in terms of enrollment.
Bang for bucks: Best and worst Obamacare exchanges – Colorado is 4th in the nation. (cnbc.com)
