How to run a kick-ass hackathon for teens
I’ve taken part in hackathons before but this week was my first helping to run one, and my first at a school. With teenagers. Here’s what happened and how to make yours a success too.
How do you start?
The format is pretty standard. Teams of four were asked to come up with a project idea. It could be something positive they wanted to celebrate or a problem to solve using tech.
Soon the ideas came thick and fast! They ranged from an app to showcase the work of budding artists, a game mapping the career of a premier league footballer, and the best I’m saving till last.
They chose a technical solution that worked best for their idea, and cracked on with building it.
Next came presentations! Each team had 5 minutes to showcase their idea, the process they followed, and where their wild and wacky creations might take them next.
The winning idea? Simply brilliant. The “Trump Nation game”, (set in an alternate reality) was designed to highlight the impact on women and minorities if Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election. It raked in the votes, gave us plenty of food for thought and a serious fit of the giggles!
What’s the recipe for success?
A thick skin! (Among other things). I put this question out to my LinkedIn network a few weeks ago and I owe them a massive thanks. The hackathon guide was a big help, as was Bravand’s top 5 learnings, and Code Club trustee Joe Scarboro was kind enough to chat through ideas with me. Going into it armed with some collective wisdom made all the difference.
I found advice specific to working with school age kids hard to come by, so here are my top 10 tips for how to run a kick-ass hackathon for teens.
1. Set the tone from the start
Share the format and purpose of the day in advance. Surprises won’t go down well! Establish a code of conduct. Help them to focus by providing a clear brief, and don’t overwhelm them with too many options. They’ll struggle at first to get out of school mode (one team wanted to create robots to replace specific teachers they disliked!). Encourage them to think beyond the confines of their school life, and set up the physical space to be as un-academic as possible. Let them ditch their school uniforms for the day. They’ll be more committed if they have free reign to work on something that fires them up.
2. Mix it up (then watch the sparks fly)
Invite non-computer science students too. If there’s a blend of creative and technical types in each team you’ll get the best of both worlds. Then be prepared for what happens next!
You see, if you weren’t armed with this knowledge already (guilty as charged), no one warns you that trying to engage teenagers is hard. If they aren’t already tech-fanatics you’ll face resistance, and some won’t engage at all. A handful of the students invited were a no-show, and to our dismay a team got up and left half an hour in! But that’s ok. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that they’re a lost cause. It’s tough subject matter to introduce so late on, which is exactly why you’re there in the first place. If you only get through to one of them, it’s been a day well spent.
3. Watch your language
(I don’t just mean the odd profanity!) It was an eye opener to me how language and tone affected different personality types. I winced when I heard others using phrases like ‘you did it wrong’, as the quieter kids reacted far more strongly to this than those who were more confident. Use inclusive, supportive language with all of them. Failure is a given, so help them to put it into context as a learning experience to be embraced.
4. Shower them with praise, and be mindful of the dynamics at play
We took a group of boys and girls through a tutorial on how to use Twine to build their game. The boys jumped in head first, learnt as they went along and weren’t phased at messing things up. The girls reacted differently. They worried about getting things wrong and not being able to fix it on time. They picked a tool they’d used before, even though the outcome wouldn’t be as impressive. Later that day, one of the girls showed me an AWESOME game she’d built using Scratch two years ago. Capability was clearly not the issue! I won’t labour the point, but the key here is to pay attention to how each child responds to how this experience is pushing their boundaries. Praise those who collaborate, and big up any kid who gives something a go — especially if it’s outside their comfort zone.
5. Some teams want/need help, others want to be left alone
Don’t interrupt or check in on them just to make yourself feel useful. You’re an adult that looks suspiciously like their teachers, so they’ll be wary at first. Build a rapport and show them how you can help make their ideas a reality. They’ll soon call you over when they need you.
6. UX is your friend
Who will use it, what will they do with it, how will it impact their life? User experience techniques work a treat. I sat with several groups and helped them to sketch out some basic user journeys. They genuinely enjoyed this, even more so when they learnt they could get paid to do this in the real world!
7. Make sure the point of the day isn’t to win
For kids this is crucial. You want to leave them feeling buzzed up and growing in confidence. Have multiple prizes (i.e. “best teamwork”, “best presentation”, “best idea”, etc, etc) so that more than one team get a spot in the limelight for all their hard work. Highlight and reward them for the skills they’ve developed rather than the prizes they’ve won.
8. Adapt to what will work for the kids, the school and you
For instance, I struggled to convince the school to use the micro:bit or Raspberry Pi. They had their minds set on using their virtual learning environment for a case study, but there were other factors too. They were apprehensive about putting off the less “techy” types, and were (understandably) keen to use the tools themselves first. I didn’t push it as I wanted to be flexible to their situation. Now that this hackathon has gone so well they’re keen to use their micro:bit next time. It’s all part of the journey.
9. Set up a before & after survey
Use it to see how the kids attitudes might have shifted after participating in a hack and use it as your benchmark. It’s also important to celebrate what went well and to learn from what didn’t.
10. Blog about it!
If you’re volunteering, don’t keep the experience to yourself. Spread the word about what you learnt and inspire others to do the same.
On that note folks… check out STEMNET, Code Club and the multitude of other ways to use your tech skills and experience to make the future brighter.
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