Last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer as a team instructor at Code Nation’s Code Your Passion Hackathon, held at the Google NYC offices. As I stepped into the bustling atmosphere of the hackathon, I was filled with excitement and anticipation for the day ahead.
The hackathon focused on three key areas: Partnership, Project, and Presentations. Each aspect played a vital role in guiding the high school students through the process of ideation, development, and presentation of their projects. The theme of the event, “Code Your Passion,” encouraged students to explore their interests and create projects that reflected their unique passions.
Explore and express their interests, hobbies,
or personal passions through coding and technology!
To kick off the event, students were given tips for brainstorming, emphasizing the importance of deferring judgment, encouraging wild ideas, and building on the ideas of others. This laid the foundation for a collaborative and creative environment where students felt empowered to explore innovative solutions.
Teams consisting of 5-6 students and 2 volunteers were formed, with a mix of first-year Intro students and second-year advanced students. The diverse skill sets within each team fostered a supportive learning environment where students could both teach and learn from one another.
Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to get to know the students on my team, guiding them through the development of their project vision, helping them manage their time effectively, and facilitating scrums and status updates. It was inspiring to witness their enthusiasm and determination as they worked tirelessly to bring their ideas to life.
As the hackathon drew to a close, each team presented their projects before a panel of technical judges. The energy in the room was palpable as students showcased their innovative solutions, ranging from mobile apps to interactive websites, all centered around the theme of “Code Your Passion.”
In the end, five teams were selected as finalists, and their projects were presented to the rest of the hackathon teams and final round judges. The winners walked away with big prizes, but every participant left with a sense of accomplishment and pride in their creations.
“Code Your Passion” and harness the power of technology to bring their ideas to life and
make a positive impact in their communities!
Overall, my experience at Code Nation’s Code Your Passion Hackathon was nothing short of inspiring. It was incredible to see the creativity and ingenuity of the next generation of technologists, and I am grateful to have been a part of their journey. Here’s to fostering innovation and empowering young minds to code their passions!
