REVISED EMAIL MEMO: Release of Formal Report Proposal

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENGL 301 Instructor

From: Emilyn Sim ENGL 301 Student

Date: February 22, 2023

Subject: Formal Report Proposal – Inclusivity in Hackathons: An Assessment

As per request according to Unit 2.1 of ENGL 301, I have completed a formal report proposal based on my skills and experiences. My proposal contains the following:

• Audience Description – UBC Computer Science Department staff and organizers who are responsible for creating events for students
• Introduction of Topic – Hackathons as a teaching tool and the barriers to participation for novice students
• Statement of Problem – Novice students face barriers enrolling in hackathons, and teams do not contain a wide range of knowledge as team members come from similar educational backgrounds, limiting diversity of ideas and solutions
• Proposed Solutions – Creating a hackathon with assigned mentors and mentees to foster a more inclusive environment and encourage mentorship and community building
• Scope of Questions – The main reasons individuals do not participate in hackathons, current collaboration strategies, potential benefits of implementing a mentorship program, effective ways to identify individuals who would benefit from mentorship, potential challenges and limitations, and alternative or additional methods to increase hackathon accessibility
• Forms of Primary and Secondary Sources – Surveys with computer science students and graduates who have participated in hackathons, publications on barriers to participation in career building events for novice computer science students.
• My Qualifications – Event planning experience and first-hand experience as a novice hackathon participant
• Conclusion – Lack of experience is a significant barrier to hackathon participation. The proposed solution of creating a hackathon with assigned mentors and mentees has the potential to increase diversity and inclusivity while providing valuable mentorship opportunities.

It can be found here: formal report proposal. I hope to continue research into the solution outlined in my proposal,  I appreciate your continued support in this work. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or comments.