Hackathon Returns!

It starts today!

The second annual MHS Hackathon, hosted by the Crypted001 Club, kicks off tonight in Linn Hall, followed by two days of workshops, speakers, coding, and fun.

Organized by and for students, the event aims to introduce participants to computer science and technology by encouraging them to solve the world’s pressing issues through coding. Students learn technical skills, connect with industry professionals, and spend time with peers who are as passionate as they are about innovation.

While most of the action takes place on campus in the state-of-the-art Linn Hall, four workshops are open to MHS friends and family via Zoom. Guest speakers include five MHS alumnae active in technology fields and MHS’s own Director of Engineering and Technology Innovation, Dr. Chris Himes.

Hackathon 2022 kicks-off at 7 tonight with an opening ceremony, followed by team-building activities. Saturday’s schedule is chock full!

• Crypted001 co-Head Kathleen ’22 will lead a workshop on Thunkable, a type of app-builder, 10 a.m.

• Recent grad Diana Sobolieva ’21 returns with a workshop, “Pursuing STEM in College,” an opportunity to learn about studying STEM in college and overcoming challenges women face, 11 a.m.

• Sammie ’22 and Fernanda ’23 will lead a workshop on Python, an easy-to-use — but powerful! — coding language, 2 p.m.

• Dr. Himes will lead a workshop on “Intro to A.I. & Machine Learning,” sharing insights into how artificial intelligence is used to build programs such as facial recognition systems, 3 p.m.

Saturday wraps up with a movie night viewing of The Imitation Game with Kelly ‘22 and Ayako ‘24, 7 p.m.

Sunday’s lineup!

• Activism Talk: Dr. Nancy Li, Director of Product and Accelerator who has been featured in Forbes, will lead a discussion about empowering women in tech, 10 a.m.

• A conversation with Lee Carbonelli ’95, General Manager of HQ, Inc. (HQI) and MHS Trustee, about the role technology plays in increasing access to healthcare and improving quality of life, 11 a.m.

• Tim Butterworth, Operations Manager at the Berkshire Innovation Center, leads a workshop in 3-D Printing, CAD, and advanced manufacturing, 1 p.m.

• “Exploring Careers in Tech,” a conversation with MHS Young alumnae Cami Chen ’09, Lexi Sprague ’12, and Lee Kravchenko ’15, about their careers, common successes, and setbacks, 2 p.m.

Throughout the weekend, students will also have opportunities to build products — A.I., a mobile app, a website, a robot, and more — to be considered for prizes.

It is going to be a great weekend!