In this codeathon, teams will compete to design and build a mobile app for a Chicago educational charity.  This app will serve a vital social need in allowing teachers, parents, and students from underserved communities to remain in near constant communication and work together to deliver quality educational experiences.

We are happy to honor requests for team assignments wherever possible.  For those joining the challenge on their own, we will be assigning teams based on skill sets and needs prior to the event, so you will have a chance to communicate a little with your team ahead of time and form a plan.

Each team will be assigned a mentor from Fitch's full-time technology staff for the duration of the event.  You will work with your mentor to develop an application that meets the needs of the organization with features such as calendar integration, real-time communications, and gamification.

Fitch Group is a global leader in financial information services with operations in more than 30 countries. Fitch Group is comprised of: Fitch Ratings, a global leader in credit ratings and research; Fitch Solutions, a leading provider of credit market data, analytical tools, and risk services; and Fitch Learning, a preeminent training and professional development firm. With dual headquarters in London and New York, Fitch Group is owned by Hearst.

VOCEL is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure every child has the foundation to learn, grow and lead. We believe that all parents, caregivers, and educators can be extraordinary teachers of young children, if they have access to brain science, coaching, and communities of peer support. VOCEL's portfolio of programs is made up of four distinct programs:

·      VOCEL's Child Parent Academy (VCPA): VOCEL’S flagship program is a dynamic, two-generational early learning accelerator where young children (0-4 years) and their parents learn side-by-side.

·      Powered by VOCEL (PbV): Using a “train the trainer” approach, VOCEL is equips parents and community members at select CPS elementary schools to implement the Child Parent Academy at their home schools with coaching and support from our expert staff.

·      Building Early Learning Leaders (BELL): Working with Chicago Public School Principals and other school leaders, this is a Network Improvement Community designed for school leaders and their team to identify and improve strong early learning practices.

·      Early Educators for Thriving Children (EETC): Our newest program is a Teacher Fellowship focused on helping pre-K - first grade teachers learn developmentally appropriate practices and implementation on mental health supports and social emotional learning.

The schedule for the event will go as follows...

Monday, December 12 -- virtual -- 9 AM to 5 PM

·      AWS App Development using Amplify training

·      AWS App Development for Mobile training

·      Logistics for tomorrow's event

Tuesday, December 13 – onsite

·      9:00 AM – contestants arrive / registration begins

·      9:30 AM -- Introductory remarks by VOCEL - about them and their needs

·      9:45 AM -- Introductory remarks by Fitch - about logistics

·      10:00 AM - Codeathon begins (Fitch office tours available during this time)

·      7 PM – event goes virtual

Wednesday, December 14 – all virtual

·      9 AM – coding ends

·      12 PM – virtual awards ceremony

• App Store
  Can this app be hosted in both the Apple and Google Play app stores - functional on both iOS and Android?