Press  Release  FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE         Contact:  Monique  Linder    DATE:  JANUARY  23,  2017         Telephone:  612.787.8705                 Email:  monique@omgdigitalmediasolutions.com  

“YOU  DON’T  NEED  PERMISSION  TO  BE  INNOVATIVE”  IS  THE  MOTTO  FOR  THE  #YESWECODE  HACKATHON  FINALS  COMPETITION  COMING  TO  MONTGOMERY,  ALABAMA  

 Southern  Youth  Leadership  Development  Institute  (SYLDI)  and  Southern  Company  focusing  on  

developing  youth  through  training  and  programs  that  prepare  them  for  careers  of  the  21st  century.      FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  (January  23,  2017)  Montgomery,  Alabama  -­‐  #YesWeCode  and  Southern  Youth  Leadership  Development  Institute  (SYLDI)  have  teamed  up  to  bring  a  “hackathon”  competition  to  high  schools   in  Birmingham,  Selma,  Tuskegee  and  Montgomery,  Alabama  as  part  of  The  Spirit  of  Rosa  Parks  benefit  events.    

#YesWeCode  Hackathon  Theme    

The  theme  of  this  hackathon  is  for  all  teams  to  find  their  “center  of  gravity”  which  leads  to  the  invention  of  an  extraordinary  concept  or  prototype  of  an  “education”  or  “economic  development”  solution.    

The  center  of  gravity   is  defined  for   this  assignment  as   the  point  at  which  each  team  aligns   in  passion,  creativity,  synergy  and  optimal  performance,  enabling  an  extraordinary  invention  to  take  shape.    

Each   invited   schools’   location   is   important   to  Mrs.   Rosa   Park’s   journey   and   location   of   her   center   of  gravity,  Montgomery,  Alabama,  where  she  refused  to  leave  her  seat  in  the  front  of  the  “negro”  section  of  the   bus.   It   was   the   Recy   Taylor   story,   ten   years   prior   to   the  Montgomery   bus   boycott   that   laid   the  foundation  for  the  civil  rights  movement.    

The  hackathon  takes  place  during  Women’s  History  Month,  where  Mrs.  Rosa  Parks  is  being  recognized  for  her  courage,  strength  and  activism  standing  up  for  human  rights  by  honoring  human  rights  leaders  around  the  country  at  The  Spirit  of  Rosa  Parks  awards  taking  place  at  the  Montgomery  Performing  Arts  Centre  on  March  4,  2017.  All  Hackathon  schools  will  be  acknowledged  and  the  winning  school  will  receive  a  “Rosa  Parks  Innovation  Award”.    

All  participating  schools  will  be  celebrated  at  the  start  of  The  Spirit  of  Rosa  Parks  Awards.  All  students,  teachers  and  chaperones  will  receive  premier  access  passes  to  attend  all  events.    The  winning  school  will  receive  a  special  award  that  they  will  take  back  to  their  school  as  an  example  of  their  brilliance  that  sparks  and  encourages  innovation  to  continue  throughout  the  year  and  beyond.    

Schools   who   wish   to   compete   must   register   online   by   February   1,   2017   at:  http://www.syldi.org/yeswecode-­‐hackathon/.     Idea  submissions  are  due  with  the  school’s   registration.  The  competition   is  open  to  all  high  school  students   in  Birmingham,  Tuskegee,  Montgomery  and  Selma  (ages  14  –  18).  Four  schools,  teams  of  six,  will  compete  in  the  finals  on  March  4,  2017  at  Montgomery  Preparatory  Academy  for  Career  Technology  (MPACT).      

 Get  involved  and  stay  connected  on  social  media  at:  

Twitter:  @_SYLDI  

Facebook:  SYLDIOfficial  

Google+:  SYLDI  MONTGOMERY  

More  information  is  available  at:  http://www.syldi.org    

###    About  Southern  Youth  Leadership  Development  Institute  (SYLDI)  SYLDI’s   mission   is   to   provide   opportunity   to   youth   through   programs   that   create   policy   change   in  education  and  protection  of  voter’s  rights  based  on  the  legacy  of  civil  rights  leaders  that  gave  their  lives  fighting  for  freedom  and  human  rights  for  all.  SYLDI  established  in  Montgomery,  Alabama  in  2004  to  train  youth  12-­‐18  years  of  age  to  combat  the  inequalities  of  education.    SYLDI   inspires,  cultivates  and  trains  youth  with  leadership  potential  to  bring  about  a  more  disciplined  approach  to  problem  identification  and  resolution  of  issues  that  impact  our  education  policies.    About  #YesWeCode    Many  have  been  searching  for  ways  to  uplift  today’s  urban  youth  and  help  them  achieve  a  more  promising  future.   We   believe   that   one   solution   lies   in   connecting   tech   and   social   justice   leaders   to   spearhead  revolutionary  tech  programs  whose  benefits  extend  to  the  most  disadvantaged  of  society.    #YesWeCode  is  a  Dream  Corps  initiative  that  works  with  partners  to  help  connect  100,000  underrepresented  minorities  to  careers  in  technology.  More  information  at:  yeswecode.org