Computer engineering major Jonathan Gan leads a “Starting Web Development” online workshop for students interested in participating in the Programming Club’s Code of the Phoenix Mini Hackathon on July 25.
Hackathons are a way of life at Florida Polytechnic University. The Programming Club is making sure students from all majors have the tools they need to join in and succeed at its upcoming Code of the Phoenix Mini Hackathon on July 25.
The club is hosting virtual workshops throughout the month of July on topics such as the basics of hackathons, and an introduction to programming and web development. The final workshop, Intro to Mobile Development, will be from 7-8:30 p.m. on July 22.
“At almost every meeting we have a workshop, but it’s the first time we put them all together in one single event and organized the workshops thinking about the end result and what skills students need to have to participate in a hackathon,” said Victoria Andrade, the club’s vice president.
The July 25 mini hackathon will take place over 12 hours and task students with teaming up and building a project from start to finish. Most hackathons take place over 24 hours or more.
Andrade, a sophomore majoring in computer engineering with a concentration in machine intelligence, said the hackathon should translate well in an online environment because the work takes place on a shared virtual platform under normal circumstances. The only difference will be online communication rather than in-person collaboration.
“You learn a lot with a hackathon, even if your project is something you don’t know how to do,” said Andrade, an international student from Brazil. “You become so much faster and it forces your brain to work, all while you’re building your interpersonal relationship skills because you have to get to know three other people and be able to work together.”
She said students who want to participate do not have to sign up as part of a team. Many participants find their teammates on the day of the event, matching their skills with project needs. Others choose to take on the challenge alone.
Hackathon culture runs deep at Florida Polytechnic University. The annual PhoenixHacks event draws many students who want to show off their problem-solving and tech skills for bragging rights and big prizes.
The July 25 hackathon is open to all Florida Poly students. Register here for the event and remaining webinar.
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
