Leading national water and wastewater services company American Water is joining Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) as the lead sponsor of Philly Codefest 2020. Philly Codefest is a free software and hardware hackathon that encourages students and professionals from all experience levels and backgrounds to work together to develop innovative solutions to help solve real world challenges.
As climate change makes Philadelphia hotter and wetter, and sea level rise threatens our waterfronts and low-lying communities, Mayor Jim Kenney and the City of Philadelphia have committed to reducing Philly’s citywide carbon pollution by 80 percent and achieving a 100 percent carbon-free electricity grid by 2050.
In its eighth year, Philly Codefest 2020 will be dedicated to the development of novel, creative solutions to support the region’s sustainability and climate goals to help make our region a safer, healthier place to be for generations to come.
Approximately 500 software and hardware hackers – made up of professionals and students – are expected to compete from Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 a.m. to Sunday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. at Behrakis Grand Hall on Drexel’s University City Campus. Attendees will be encouraged to design tech solutions within the following categories: water, agriculture & food, transportation, waste and energy.
“With a College-wide commitment to tech for social good, our goal is that Codefest 2020 will serve as a launching pad for innovations to benefit generations of Philadelphians,” says Yi Deng, PhD, Isaac L. Auerbach Professor and dean of CCI. “We are proud to have American Water – a company committed advancing water resources technology for a more sustainable world – as our lead sponsor.”
Attendees will form teams to work on projects, and then will present their final creations to a panel of judges – comprised of Drexel faculty, sponsors and respected members of the Philadelphia tech community – for a chance to win cash and tech-related prizes.
American Water, a Drexel CCI Corporate Partner, joins Codefest sponsors including the Philadelphia-based private server provider company Linode and CCI Corporate Partner Dell Boomi, who will both host informative workshops during the event.
ABOUT AMERICAN WATER
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 14 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
ABOUT DREXEL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMPUTING & INFORMATICS
From our position on the leading edge of information and technology, Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) instills the knowledge and skills necessary for our students to lead and innovate across industries in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Building on Drexel University’s exceptional foundation of entrepreneurship and cooperative education, we provide unparalleled professional experiences and the on-the-job training that is vital to preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world. At CCI, our unique structure bringing computing and informatics together under one roof in a dynamic, collaborative college allows us to spot trends before they emerge, to solve problems before they occur, and to build a better tomorrow, starting today.