On Saturday, June 1, 2019, at Factset Research Systems in Norwalk, CT, the 6th annual Random Hacks of Kindness “Hack-A-Thon” was held. This event brings kids and their mentors together with representatives from local non-profits an opportunity to share information and build connections. Not only were local groups able to share more information about their missions and work, but the kids participating were able to listen and build an app around those core services and needs.

The day started with filing in, making sure everyone was where they needed to be and had their name tags. Then introductions were made and everyone got to know the groups they would be working with for the rest of the day. As a representative of JDRF, I was paired with 8 kids and 2 mentors, which was split into 2 groups of 4.

With each group, I shared information about what JDRF does, the research we fund and how we support the T1D community. As the kids and their mentors reviewed the materials, I went back and forth and answered all their questions to help them get an idea of what app they wanted to build. It was so great to see such genuine enthusiasm on their faces as they learned more about the life of a Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics, the work that JDRF does, and the communities that are built when those affected by diabetes come together.

By midday, the first group had settled on an app that would allow diabetics or those with a connection to diabetes, to connect with each other and be able to reach out to volunteer, organize local events, or just connect and talk. The second group had decided to build an app that would track a diabetic’s carb and calorie intake during the day, which would then give daily totals and be organized in a spreadsheet. Both ideas were very well thought out and agreed upon by everyone in their respective groups. Being able to see the cooperation and the problem solving skills work underway was fantastic. Also, as the ideas became finalized, more personalities started emerging among the kids and the initial shyness had gone out the window.

After a quick lunch, the teams officially began building their applications. Starting with the layout of their interfaces, deciding on what buttons should go where and how many pages were needed. Then the groups began coding, using the MIT app inventor. The MIT app inventor is a fantastic tool that puts code into blocks that turn potentially complex commands into comprehensive steps that work with just dragging and dropping. Even some of the kids in the groups that had never written a line of code, were able to understand how the app inventor worked. They also used a great “Driver and Passenger” system with the kids, the driver was the one that was placing the blocks together and directly working with the code. While the passenger was sitting next to them and watching them code and recommending different ways to set up a command or help the driver if they were unsure what blocks to use. This helped to make sure that everyone on their teams were involved and building the app.

By the end of the day, both teams for JDRF and all the other participants had created impressive displays given only working on them for a few hours. The amount of creativity and talent in each app was easy to see, and the pride of each group was abundant. As a whole, the day was a huge success, and it was such an incredible opportunity to spread more awareness on behalf of JDRF.

By Jack Smith