Charlotte To Host Community TechDay With HBCU Competition for $10K in Prizes

Charlotte and Pathway Community Foundation will host Community TechDay on April 23 at Johnson C. Smith University's Innovation Center. It runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Workshops, demonstrations, and a competition among nine HBCU student teams fill the agenda.

The HBCU Smart Cities Showcase takes center stage. Nine schools send student teams to present prototype solutions after three months of working with Charlotte and Henry County, according to CharlotteNC.gov. Winners split $10,000 in prizes for pitching solutions to civic challenges.

Attendees can try drones and virtual reality. Smart city exhibits line the halls. Startup-style presentations run all day, and STEM workshops offer hands-on learning. The event brings students, residents, entrepreneurs, and public leaders together around technology applications that touch daily life.

Two workshop rounds occur at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The HBCU Smart Cities Showcase starts at 1 p.m. Doors open at 10 a.m., and everything wraps at 3 p.m.

Admission costs nothing. Registration happens through Eventbrite.

Organizations wanting to exhibit must sign up by April 9. A submission option exists on the Pathway Community Foundation website.

Johnson C. Smith STEM Innovation Center sits at 100 Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte.