Technology has constantly been evolving, enabling the OA to deliver our program in revolutionary ways. The past few years have proven to be no exception, showcased by the integration of a mobile application at our national conference, vast improvements to our website and the inaugural Order of the Arrow Hackathon held in October 2017 at Intel Headquarters in Folsom, CA. However, it doesn’t stop there! On June 26-30, 2019, the Order of the Arrow will be hosting the first ever full-length OA Hackathon at the University of Illinois on the Urbana-Champaign campus, and all Arrowmen are invited to attend. Whether or not you have experience with technology prior to the event, you certainly will after you and a team of other Arrowmen tackle organizational technology challenges at the Hackathon.
The 2019 OA Hackathon is focused around one thing: problem solving. Delegates will work together in 4-5 person teams, made up of Arrowmen with varying technical knowledge, to brainstorm and develop solutions to prompts. The specific prompts will be chosen based on nationwide surveys that will be taken by lodge leadership.
The priority for the event is delegate experience. We want to ensure that throughout the event, every delegate in attendance is having a great time, learning as much as they can and applying their skills to key challenges faced by lodges across the nation. Each delegate at the event will be able to connect with like-minded individuals, collaborate with peers on specific prompts, increase technical knowledge, increase engagement and participation in the OA, and put Arrowmen into positions where they can put their technical knowledge to use at the lodge, section, region, and national level.
The event plays a major part in securing the future of the Order of the Arrow in this digital age. By hosting our 2017 OA Hackathon, we made groundbreaking progress toward our goal of becoming a more technologically inclined organization. After laying groundwork for many projects in 2017, it is time for us to take it to the next level at the 2019 OA Hackathon. Register today to strengthen future technology programs for the OA, recruit technical membership, cultivate a culture of problem solving and be empowered to take on new responsibilities.
After the 2019 OA Hackathon, our organization will be on its way to the next step of technological evolution. Registration will be opening in the coming months, so make sure to tell all of your friends in the OA and sign up so that you too can be part of shaping the future.
