Welcome To
HACKHOLYOKE 2024
HACKHOLYOKE 2024!
November 9-10 | Chapin Auditorium, South Hadley, MA
HackHolyoke 2022
in numbers
What is Hack Holyoke?
HackHolyoke is a 24-hour hackathon hosted every year by students at Mount Holyoke College, one of the first historically women's colleges in the US. Initiated in 2014, we have strived to be an inclusive hackathon that unites young innovators from a variety of backgrounds. With over 80% of HackHolyoke attendees identifying as women and/or first-time hackers, our hackathon aims to represent what we hope the tech industry will look like.
(HackHolyoke 2024 will take place on November 9-10th, 2024 fully in-person tea breaks, information sessions, and workshops.)
Challenges
This challenge is designed to be accessible and enjoyable for those new to hackathons. It focuses on creating platforms that teach people about topics they are passionate about. Whether coding, cooking, music, or any other subject, your mission is to create an engaging educational tool that helps others learn.
In today's world, data is the key to unlocking innovative solutions to complex problems. We challenge you to harness the power of data and predictive models to create impactful solutions. Whether it's predicting natural disasters, forecasting disease outbreaks, or optimizing resources, your mission is to develop a data-driven project that can make a significant difference.
Participants will develop projects addressing environmental issues and/or promoting sustainability. Solutions can focus on waste management, renewable energy, conservation, climate change, pollution reduction, carbon footprint tracking, or environmental education. The goal is to create tools, applications, or systems that positively impact the environment and encourage sustainable practices.
Participants will develop projects aimed at improving financial management and literacy. Your solution can address personal finance, business finance, investment strategies, or educational resources that help users understand and navigate the complex world of finance. The goal is to create tools that make financial management more accessible, effective, and secure.
Participants will work together in teams to create a game that demonstrates innovation in one or more aspects. Your game can be for any platform and can belong to any genre. The key is to leverage your creativity and technical skills to build a game that offers a fresh and engaging experience.
Participants are challenged to develop projects that aim to improve overall health and wellness. Your solution can address physical health, mental well-being, lifestyle enhancements, or even innovative ways to encourage wellness through travel and tourism. The key is to create something that helps individuals lead healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives.
Workshops
Laura Sizer
Developing a project requires making lots of decisions, and many of those decisions have ethical implications alongside their design and technology implications. In this workshop we will discuss the need to think about ethics in goal setting, designing, coding, and implementing a data-driven project. We will think through some questions and principles that can help you assess your project from an ethical point of view.
Ethics for Developers: Doing an Ethics Audit of Your Project
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, MHC
Stephanie Friedman
Step into VR creation with Unity in this beginner-friendly, no-code workshop. Learn the basics of Unity’s interface, build 3D scenes, and bring them to life with physics and lighting. By the end, you’ll have a foundation for crafting your own immersive VR projects. Perfect for anyone curious about VR and game development!
Intro to Unity(VR)
Instructional Technologist and Specialist, MHC
Joni Park
In this workshop, you'll get hands-on with the basics of Git and GitHub, essential tools for developers. We'll cover how to track changes in your projects, collaborate with others, and keep your code organized. Whether you're just starting out or need a refresher, this session will help you feel more confident using version control in your workflow. Great for anyone who’s looking to get more comfortable with version control and improve their workflow!
Intro to Git & GitHub: Version Control
Software Engineer , Apple
Adam Essemaali
An interactive workshop where you'll learn how to leverage resource functions in the Wolfram Language to quickly prototype and deploy a project. We'll guide you through building a simple demo, demonstrating how the Wolfram Language can streamline the process from concept to production. Whether you're new to Wolfram or looking to enhance your skills, this session will equip you with the tools to bring your ideas to life efficiently
The Power of Resource Functions: How They Work, Why They're Useful, and How to Use Them to Build a Simple Application.
Wolfram Language expert
Mai Bui & Natalie Chalfant
The workshop will provide an overview of common surgical robotics research platforms and introduce participants to the Robot Operating System (ROS). Participants will learn how to publish and subscribe to standard ROS messages using the python library rospy as well as some basic rotation and translation matrices. There will also be the opportunity to control the simulated robot using a gamepad controller which broadcasts commands to the robot using ROS messages. Whether you’re an aspiring roboticist or just curious about the field, this workshop is your chance to step into the shoes of a roboticist, researcher, or medical student for a day.
Teleoperation for Simulated Surgical Robots
Research Assistants,Intelligent Medical Robotics Lab
Nafisa Bashar Anmul, Kathryn Spencer, Sadichchha Maharjan
Have you ever wondered how all the face filters work on Snapchat and Instagram? Join us for a hands-on workshop where we’ll combine computer vision and creative coding using Mediapipe ML libraries in p5.js! You’ll learn to use hand and pose tracking to build interactive projects that respond to real-time gestures and face movements. Whether you're new to coding or experienced, this workshop will show you how to create your own immersive applications. Get ready to dive into creative coding and see how fun and accessible working with computer vision can be!
Dive into Creative Coding with Medipipe and p5.js
Breakpoint
Astrid Zhao
Why do I need to put so much effort into networking? Where should I start? How do I reach out to strangers on LinkedIn? What do I say during a coffee chat? If these questions sound familiar, this workshop is for you.This workshop is designed to empower college students with practical skills and strategies necessary to use LinkedIn for networking and career development effectively. Participants will learn how to create a professional LinkedIn profile, strategically build their networks, and use LinkedIn for job searches. Participants will leave equipped with the tools they need to navigate their early professional careers.
Leveraging LinkedIn: Networking Strategies for Early Career
Technology Analyst , Morgan Stanley
Olivia Lee
Data science is a broad field with a wide range of skills needed. In big tech, a data scientist could be working on anything from monitoring and validating data quality, presenting data-driven insights to nontechnical stakeholders, to testing different deep learning architectures for a deep learning model. In this workshop, Olivia will share her journey and day-to-day working as a data scientist in big tech with concrete examples and analytical insights.
Why You Should / Shouldn't Be a Data Scientist
Data Scientist @ Yahoo Finance
Avery Colyer
COMING SOON !
Working as a UX/UI designer in Tech
Lead UI/UX Designer at Hospitality Innovations
Ariel Russ
Both informational interviews and traditional job-hunting ones are scary but I'm here to make it easier for you. You'll learn some skills to prep in advance and make you more confident.
Interviewing Skills
Senior Manager of Sustainability at Estée Lauder
FAQ
Sponsors
If you are interested in contributing as a sponsor or mentor please click below.
Sponsor HackHolyoke