Hackathon for Children

August 27-29, 2021

FutureHacks II 2021 is the 3rd TTK (TeensTeachKids) free virtual coding event for children from 7 to 15 years old, one of the only hackathons specifically for elementary and middle school students. Participants will create projects using Scratch, Python and Java with AI under a time limit, and present to a panel of judges. This is the perfect place for children to develop a passion for computer science and showcase their skills.

Theme

Technology has become more integrated into teaching in the past year. With the pandemic over, there is no doubt that the use of technology in education is here to stay. We invite you to create a project or game that explores the use of technology in schools going forward.

Rules

  • Students 7 to 15 years old are all welcome
  • Signup is opening now until 8/27. Participation is always welcome, but you will not be considered for a prize if you sign up after the deadline
  • The competition will be held this weekend (8/27 - 8/29)
  • Projects must be submitted by 11am on Sunday to be considered for prizes. Unless there are technical difficulties, there will be no exceptions
  • All projects must use Scratch, Python, Python + AI, or Java
  • Students can work individually or work together in a group (up to 4 people)
  • Preliminary judging will include presenting to a panel of junior judges
  • The top projects that are selected will present in front of the final judges

Live coding sessions

Mini lessons

1: Scratch

In this workshop, students will be introduced to important blocks and coding logic, such as broadcasting and receiving messages, conditionals, loops, and variables. Students will create a small project using their newly acquired skills.

2: Scratch + AI

This session will introduce the fundamental artificial intelligence concept of image recognition and combines it with programming. Students will apply their knowledge of scratch to implement image recognition into their program.

3. Scratch: Game Design

This workshop will delve into concepts used to create games using scratch. Participants should have a basic understanding since the course will focus on applying scratch knowledge rather than learning the programming library.

4: Python

Students will be introduced to important Python concepts and coding logic. Python is such an important language because it is so readable and perfect for beginners. Students will create a rock paper scissors bot to demonstrate their newly acquired skills.

5. Python+AI

This workshop will introduce key artificial intelligence concepts and combine them with the participants’ prior knowledge of python. This workshop is advanced and all participants are expected to have a basic understanding of python.

6: Java

In this workshop, students will learn the various mathematical methods in Java. Students will be able to practice their skills through problems and projects.

Awards

Best Overall
  • Awarded to the top projects
Special Awards
  • Most Creative
  • Rising Star
  • Best Design
HONORABLE MENTIONS
  • Rewarded to students whose projects are highlighted by judges
  • Maximum 10 honorable mentions

Drone

gaming mouse

Arduino Kit

Gaming Headphones

Prizes will include, but are not limited to, the above prizes. Every member of a winning team will get a prize.

Schedule

Kick-off meeting to introduce the coding challenge
Link to join Meeting ID: 830 019 1280 - Passcode: futurehack

TeensTeachKids Talks by Youth Development Program for High school students Link to Sign up
Live hour-long coding sessions will be held every three hours that introduce the basics of Scratch, Scratch+AI, Python, and Java
Links to join live sessions: Spring Talks; Mini-Lesson

Join us in Discord server for fun! Come to meet new friends.
https://discord.gg/ctqCZUMsPq

Your project must be submitted by 11am Sunday to be considered for competition. Submit your project at https://futurehacks-2021.devpost.com

In preliminary round, participant will present to a panel of junior judges. Top projects will be selected to enter the final round.
The finalist will present their project to the final judges.

Winners will be announced and presented awards.
Link to join Webinar

Everyone is welcome! Sign up now to compete for prizes.

Register Here

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Location: Hall 1 , Building A, Golden Street, Southafrica

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Location: Hall 1 , Building A, Golden Street, Southafrica

Judges

Bing Wu

CMU

Google

Caroline Dinh

University of Maryland

Abhinav Ganesh

University of Texas at Austin

Andrea Hayman

Hamilton College

Vinaya Pillai

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Nicholas Wilson

The College of William & Mary

Olivia Sorensen

Smith College

Gustav Baumgart

University of Minnesota

Alex Farrell

University of Vermont

Ivan Khramtchenko

Suffolk University

Saad Anwer

San Jose State University

Zach Youssef

Case Western Reserve University

Shriya Surti

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

James Underwood

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

Li Liu

CMU

Facebook, Software

Wanying Ding, Ph.D.

JPMorgan, AI

Alejandro Marquez

UC Berkley

Brady Munroe

Carnegie Mellon University

Jorge Orbay

Google Brain, AI

Qing Ping,
PH.D.

Amazon, AI

Shaky Salimjonova

Princeton University

Vikram Sharma

Duke University

Alex Yang

Google, Software

Miranda Zhang

Fintech

Reyna Zhao

LinkedIn, UI/UX

Judging Rubric

Sponsors

Proud to support TeensTeachKids

become a sponsor

FAQ

How does registration work?
First, fill out the google form. Afterwards, we will send a confirmation email and an invite to our discord server.
No worries! You can attend the instructional sessions and learn about the different coding languages. 
We will be holding instructional sessions on programming and non-programming topics that participants can attend. Additionally, there will be fun activities from 6 pm to 8 pm on Saturday
Projects will be judged for presentation skills, coding techniques, and how well the project fits the theme
What are the themes of the projects?
The theme is ‘tech in education.’ Participants will create projects that explores the use of technology in schools going forward
Yes! Participants can work in groups from 1 to 4 people
Prizes include but are not limited to Drone, Gaming mouse, Arduino kit and Gaming headphones
Yes! Anyone between the age of 7 and 15 can attend this event

WHY FUTUREHACKS (As a student)

Pursue Your Passion

Hackathons are the perfect place for students to discover and develop a passion for computer science. They give students an opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends.

Win Cool Prizes

Participants can win awards for using their creativity and problem solving skills! The range of awards that will be given is listed above and registering is free, so it’s a win-win situation.

Meet New Friends

Hackathons are great places to meet people who have similar interests as you and to have interesting conversations about such computer science related topics. Participants will be able to meet and work with others who share their passions and interests!

WHY FUTUREHACKS (As parents)

Create Lasting Memories

Participants will be able to get suggestions during the event to improve their project and presentation. They will present their projects to a panel of judges consisting of students from top universities. Additionally, they will have access to detailed paragraph feedback on their project after the event.

Special Opportunities

Usually hackathons are for high schoolers, but not FutureHacks! FutureHacks is one of the few coding competitions offered to middle and upper elementary school students. It is a great learning opportunity!

Receive Constructive Feedback

Participants will be able to present their projects to a panel of judges consisting of experts in the computer science field and students from top universiities. They will receive quality feedback from people who have experience in this field!

Code of Conduct