Compete for $10,000 in the Discovery World Hackathon

The Connected Systems Institute and Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute have partnered with Rockwell Automation, Microsoft and Northwestern Mutual to host a hackathon benefitting Discovery World. The event invites student teams from Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to compete for $10,000 in prizes by building data dashboards for Discovery World's Dream Machine.

This opportunity is a great fit for students interested in data visualization, data science, analytics, dashboard design, Power BI or similar tools.

Marquette students are invited to form a team of five students to tackle a real-world data visualization challenge centered on data from Discovery World's Dream Machine - a kinetic sculpture powered by sensors, motors and real-time information.

From Feb. 13-27, the selected teams will work with Dream Machine data on Microsoft Fabric in leveraging modern analytics tools while collaborating with industry mentors from Microsoft, Rockwell Automation or Northwestern Mutual. Final work will be presented in person at Discovery World on Feb. 27.

Teams will design and build interactive dashboards that transform Dream Machine data into actionable insights for Discovery World museum visitors. The best data designs may be used in the actual exhibit and seen by thousands of visitors each year.

Who should apply

• Any Marquette students with interest in analytics, data visualization or dashboard development. Knowledge or skill with Microsoft Fabric, Power BI or a comparable modern analytics stack would be beneficial. Experience analyzing large real-time data sets is not required.
• Students who are prepared to work together collaboratively in team-based problem-solving, using agile project methods
• Any students from data science/AI, business, technology or analytics backgrounds, interested in making real-world impact through delivering data-driven solutions.

Registration is open to any UWM or Marquette students of any major or year. Team registration is preferred; however, individual and teams of less than five are also welcome to apply.

Note that the application is competitive, with only 10 teams - five from Marquette and five from UW-Milwaukee - selected to participate. Individuals or teams with less than five people may be blended with other applicants.

Timeline, commitment and logistics

• Student team application: Jan. 20 to Feb. 1
• Team selection: By Feb. 4
• Hackathon kickoff event: Feb. 13 at Discovery World
• Team meetings and coaching sessions: Feb. 13 to 27, in-person and virtual as teams prefer
• Hackathon finale event: Feb. 27 at Discovery World

How to join

Apply online by midnight on Sunday, Feb. 1. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.