School of Art to Host Arkansas Maternal Health Community Hackathon

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Maternal Health Forum graphic design held last spring at the Fayetteville Public Library; this event was the precursor to the Hackathon.

The School of Art graphic design program in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with Eleanor Mann School of Nursing and the Sam M. Walton College of Business will host the Arkansas Maternal Health Community Hackathon on Saturday, May 20, at the Studio and Design Center in south Fayetteville. This free one-day event is open to the public and aims to start conversations, build connections and develop community-led solutions to address the maternal health crisis in Arkansas.  

This event invites all to come together to identify the root causes of the maternal mortality crisis and generate actionable visions towards change. Attendees are asked to reserve their free ticket in advance.

"Our goal for this event is to bring together maternal health professionals, parents and designers so that we can create connections and lasting partnerships that benefit our community and the state of Arkansas," said Bree McMahon, assistant professor of graphic design and graphic design graduate director. "Maternal health is in crisis, and we believe that community-led solutions can pave the way for change. This event is also an opportunity to gather much-needed data related to maternal health in Arkansas, which is historically overlooked."

Breakfast and lunch will be provided, as well as on-site childcare (children under 18 do not need to register). Scholarships to support travel and lodging expenses are available.

Event participants have the option to start or join teams to address a specific problem or project, join dialogues to share and hear personal stories, engage with local organizations and community members working to support maternal health, or simply arrive as a general participant. No design or healthcare experience is necessary.

An opening keynote address by Lisa M. Corrigan, professor of communication and director of the gender studies program at the U of A, will kick the event off at 9 a.m. Saturday. Corrigan is a prominent scholar in the areas of social movement studies, civil rights movements and feminist studies.

The remainder of the day will host a variety of activities, including surveys and storytelling, documentary screening, advocacy session, prenatal/postnatal yoga session and a resource room for individuals to browse and share resources and providers related to maternal health in Arkansas.

Register for this event, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 20, and contact Alison Place or Bree McMahon for any questions.

This event is led by researchers from the U of A in the School of Art, the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing and the Walton College of Business. Support for this event has been provided by the U of A Gender Studies program, the U of A Provost's Office, the U of A School of Art and the Walton Family Charitable Foundation.