What skills and competencies can you take away from a Hackathon?
Problem solving, design, entrepreneurship, networking, and more.
On Saturday, April 15. Marymount School of New York partnered with WIT and brought together over 30 teens to “hack” the problems that their East Harlem community is facing. These teens selected four issues to tackle: Teen Mental Health, Financial Literacy, School Safety, and Education Inequity.
The day started at 9 AM and ended at 5 PM after the teens had pitched their prototypes to a panel of judges. Students worked throughout the day. As well as a $1,000 prize for the winning team (Financial Literacy) each teen got college credit from the University of California at San Diego.
What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is an event where people, usually programmers, designers, and entrepreneurs, come together to create new technology products or solutions in a short period of time. Hackathons typically last for 24 to 72 hours, and participants are given a set of challenges to solve.
Hackathons are a great way to learn new skills, meet new people, and build your network. They are also a great way to showcase your skills and get your foot in the door of the tech industry.
During the hackathon the teens used the design thinking methodology to come up with prototypes which they presented to a panel of judges.
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem solving that designers use to create solutions that are both desirable and feasible. It is a non-linear, iterative process that involves five phases:
- Empathize: Understand the user’s needs and motivations.
- Define: Identify the problem that needs to be solved.
- Ideate: Generate creative solutions to the problem.
- Prototype: Build a rough model of the solution to test it out.
- Test: Get feedback from users and iterate on the solution.
Design thinking can be used to solve a wide range of problems, from creating new products and services to improving existing processes. It is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to create solutions that are user-centered and innovative.
The screenshots below are the fist slides of the teens pitch deck. If you are interested in seeing more detail just contact me.
There are many reasons why it is good to immerse teens in hackathons. Here are a few of the most important benefits:
- Hackathons can help teens learn new skills. Hackathons are a great way for teens to learn new skills, such as coding, design, and entrepreneurship. They can also learn about the latest technologies and trends.
- Hackathons can help teens develop their problem-solving and creativity skills. Hackathons force teens to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions to problems. They also learn how to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Hackathons can help teens build their networks. Hackathons are a great way for teens to meet other people who are interested in technology and innovation. They can also meet potential mentors and employers.
- Hackathons can help teens gain exposure to the tech industry. Hackathons give teens a taste of what it’s like to work in the tech industry. They can see what it’s like to work on a team, develop a product, and present their work to others.
Overall, hackathons are a great way for teens to learn new skills, develop their problem-solving and creativity skills, build their network, and gain exposure to the tech industry. If you’re a teen who is interested in technology, I encourage you to participate in a hackathon.