FAQs

What is a hackathon? A hackathon is an event, usually lasting for 24 hours but that can go for as long as 3 days. During this confined period, engineers, computer scientists, and designers work together to build a project from scratch, often with very little sleep. The goal of a hackathon is not to build a polished product, but to hack something together and in the process make mistakes and learn new ways of solving problems. A hackathon does not have anything to do with 'hacking' in the usual sense of defeating the security of computers.

Who can participate? Anyone who is enrolled in a high school between the 9th and 12th grades may participate in Hyphen-Hacks.

Can you sleep? Yes, you can sleep at the campus. We recommend you bring a sleeping bag.

Do I need to stay the entire time for the hackathon? No. However, we will close doors between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. (These rules may change.) We do recommend that you stay the whole time so that you can gain the most experience possible.

Does it cost money to participate? Participation in Hyphen-Hacks is completely free, as the event is funded by our sponsors.

Do I have to have any prior experience to participate? No! At Hyphen-Hacks, we welcome hackers of all experience levels. Mentors, as well as other hackers, can help you create something even if you’ve never coded before.

What is the code of conduct? Our code of conduct is available at https://mlh.io/code-of-conduct.

Will there be supervision? Yes, there will be a teacher from LWHS on site and many parent volunteers supervising the kids.