Rural Sourcing’s Second Annual Jonesboro Hackathon to Tackle Real World Project for Local Organization

Jonesboro, AR, September 21, 2015 – Rural Sourcing, a leading domestic IT outsourcing company, is excited to announce its second annual RSI Hackathon at the Brickhouse Grill, located at 218 S. Main Street, in Jonesboro. The hackathon will take place from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and brings together college students eager to tackle real world problems with software solutions. Rural Sourcing is partnering with the Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival for the event.

Unlike traditional hackathons where solutions to hypothetical situations are presented and solved, this event will involve working on a specific project for a local organization. This year’s hackathon is inspired by a superhero theme and will feature at least eight teams of three to four local college students. Each team will be given four hours to create a project that has yet to be revealed. Following a presentation to a panel of judges, the first place winners of the event will receive a paid internship at Rural Sourcing, which has recently been recognized as one of 100 top organizations selected for Computerworld’s 2015 Best Places to Work in IT. Food and drinks will be provided to all participants and prizes are awarded every hour throughout the day.

The event has been successful in helping participants find employment. In fact, four former Jonesboro hackathon participants are now Rural Sourcing colleagues. “The hackathon provided me with a perfect opportunity to showcase my skill set amidst like-minded technical students,” said Josh Allen, a former hackathon participant and now associate programmer analyst at Rural Sourcing. “It also got me in the door at Rural Sourcing, working in an intensely creative environment, doing a job I love.”

“This is an incredible opportunity for college students to actively demonstrate their technical skills in a real-world setting, while helping a Jonesboro organization with a technology need,” said Margaux Kaynard, vice president of human resources. “Rural Sourcing is thrilled to connect the two groups as part of our commitment to the community and to developing and employing technology talent in the United States.”

The panel of judges include Rick Christian, Brand Manager at 100.5 The Eagle, Fritz Gisler, Director of Communications for the City of Jonesboro, Mark Young, president of the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce, and Ingrid Miller, COO of Rural Sourcing.

About Sparq

Sparq is a leading provider of outsourced digital engineering to design, build and deploy digital applications, products and experiences. Sparq’s unique U.S.-led, blended onshore/nearshore delivery model maximizes cost effectiveness, clear communication and the ability to quickly scale. Scrum-as-a-Service®, Sparq’s unique engagement framework for Agile digital product engineering, provides rapid and flexible deployment of multidisciplinary teams via an elastic consumption model and predictable monthly pricing. The company provides world-class solutions for technology-driven and Fortune 1000 clients across various industries including Logistics and Transportation, Healthcare, Financial Services and Insurance, Manufacturing and High-Tech. For more information, please visit www.teamsparq.com.

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