Help Build Community Connections through Design-A-Thon

As Northwestern Engineering prepares for the start of the new academic year, community feels more important than ever before.

Northwestern undergraduate students are invited to participate in McCormick Design-A-Thon 2020, a multi-day, team-based experience designed to encourage collaboration and spark innovations that can strengthen the Northwestern community in the face of challenges like COVID-19 and its impact on student life.

Design-A-Thon will begin Sunday, September 13, at 4 p.m. CST, and end Tuesday, September 16, at 12 p.m. CST. Teams must register for the virtual, hackathon-style event before the end of the day on September 7. Groups may include up to six undergraduate students, at least one of whom must be from Northwestern Engineering. Individuals or smaller teams are welcome to register and request to be matched with a team.

During the event, students will create solutions to foster a stronger campus community, imagining new initiatives that promote inclusion and celebrate Northwestern Engineering’s diversity. Proposals could range from special events and programs to technological innovations like apps or learning tools.

A select group of mentors, composed of advanced design students from the Segal Design Institute, graduate students, and alumni, will support teams as they brainstorm their solutions, offering participants a chance to grow their own networks.

At the conclusion of Design-A-Thon, groups will present a three-minute video outlining their proposals to a panel of faculty and alumni judges via Zoom. Winning teams will have the opportunity to work with school leadership to implement their ideas during the upcoming academic year. All participants will receive a limited-edition Northwestern winter hat.

For more information about Design-A-Thon, email designathon2020@northwestern.edu.

Register as a team or an individual for the Design-A-Thon.