The Somerset County Library System of New Jersey’s (SCLSNJ) Teen Leadership Hacks program, originally planned to be hosted Saturday, March 14, has been postponed until further notice.
The safety of our customers and staff is always our first priority. “We want to do our part to help our health care community manage the situation by reducing opportunities for large groups to congregate,” said County Library Administrator Brian Auger.
Click here to register for grades 6-8.
Click here to register for grades 9-12.
Welcome to Somerset County Library’s(SCLSNJ) Teen Leadership Hacks! SCLSNJ Teen Leadership hacks is an all day hackathon on Saturday, March 14th for teens in grades 6-12. Whether this is your first hackathon or your hundredth, we invite you to attend and bring your innovation. Students can work individually or in groups to build apps, games, and/or networks that promote and showcase teen leadership through the world of coding. We’ll have swag, workshops, mentorship, prizes, games, free food, and so much more.
Mission
Provide a community gathering space where Somerset County teens can connect, discover, explore, and share their passion for lifelong learning of technology and leadership as they have meaningful interactions with peers and mentors that will help build Somerset County’s future workforce.
Competition Details
- Teens can participate in teams consisting of up to three people per team.
- Teams can consist of any combination of students in grades 6-12.
- Challenge will be announced at the event.
- Students will be judged on Originality of Concept, Quality of Presentation, and Value to an Organization/Business.
Prizes
- 1st Place $50/person Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Plus, two tickets/person for any one performance in the 2020-2021 Season at The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College. - 2nd Place $25/person Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Plus, one ticket/person for a Planetarium Show or Laser Light Concert at the Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium. - 3rd Place $15/person Barnes and Noble Gift Card
- Drawing for all participants-One Free SAT/ACT Prep Course by Rutgers Continuing Education
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Students Check in & Light Refreshments
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speaker: Alex Rosenkranz, Full Stack Developer
Alex is the Lead Instructor with Rutgers Coding Bootcamp as well as a Curriculum Engineer with 2U.
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
10:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Hacking
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Workshop: Overcoming Fear and Panic: How the Navy Seals Do It
Presented by Toastmasters
Location: Program Room B
11:00 – 12:00 p.m.
2-Minute Concept Check-In with Judges
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
12:00 – 12:50 p.m.
Workshop: Competing with STEM
Presented by FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) New Jersey
Location: Program Room B
1:00 – 2:50 p.m.
Workshop: Intro to App Development
Presented by Code Ninjas
Location: Conference Room
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. (open to all)
3:00 – 3:50 p.m. (for Teen Leadership Hacks registrants only)
STEM Expo
Participants include: Abner’s Cubing Classes, Code Ninjas, FIRST Lego League, Likeable STEM, Raritan Valley Community College, Rutgers University: Division of Continuing Studies, Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools, and Toastmasters.
Location: Program Room A
2:00 – 2:50 p.m.
Workshop: STEM Career Panel
Location: Program Room B
3:00-3:50 p.m.
Judging
Location: Conference Room
Afternoon Snack
Location: Program Rooms A & B
4:00-4:30 p.m.
Closing Ceremony
Parents welcome to observe.
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
What’s a hackathon?
A hackathon is a programming marathon, where individuals and teams put their ideas together to create a solution to a problem we will provide that day. There will also be workshops and an expo area as well.
Who can attend?
This event is for youth in grades 6-12 that live in Somerset County. This includes youth who have never been to a hackathon before. While experience in coding and programming is a huge plus, teams will also need people with strong presentation skills and brilliant ideas. Parents will be allowed to attend the awards ceremony at the end of the event.
Does this cost money?
The event is free.
Where do I sign up?
You can sign up here:
Click here to register for grades 6-8.
Click here to register for grades 9-12.
When do I need to register by?
The deadline for registration is March 7, 2020.
What size can a team be?
Teams can be up to 3 people. If you want to hack alone, that’s totally fine.
What do I need to bring?
You will need to bring a laptop or Chromebook and its charger.
Do I have to compete?
No. However we do encourage you to take the chance, because there’s nothing to lose! Everyone has a chance to win, because it’s not just about coding, but also selling your concept or idea.
What if I don’t want to present my hack?
You might think your project isn’t impressive or it might not be finished so you don’t want to present it. You should present it anyway! Honestly, hackathons isn’t about being the best or being competitive. It’s all about having fun, making friends and learning how to become better at things you care about. Presenting your hack gives you a chance to be proud of what you’ve done, and you should be proud.
I have never been to a hackathon, what now?
Try it! People are super friendly, and no, you do not have to be an expert to participate.
Do you have a Code of Conduct?
Click here to read the Code of Conduct.
Will there be training?
There will be workshops throughout the day. You will be able to sign up for these workshops after you register for the event.
Do I have to stay the whole time?
Participants who are competing should stay the entire day.
How will teams be judged?
Three professionals will be judging the following factors:
- Originality of Concept
- Quality of Presentation
- Value to the Organization/Business
Will there be prizes?
- 1st Place $50/person Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Plus, two tickets/person for any one performance in the 2020-2021 Season at The Theatre at Raritan Valley Community College. - 2nd Place $25/person Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Plus, one ticket/person for a Planetarium Show or Laser Light Concert at the Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium. - 3rd Place $15/person Barnes and Noble Gift Card
- Drawing for all participants-One Free SAT/ACT Prep Course by Rutgers Continuing Education
Who owns my project & idea?
The team that develops the project is the owner of the project and idea.
Will there be food?
We will be serving light refreshments and afternoon snack. You will need to bring your own brown bag lunch.
SCLSNJ Hillsborough Library branch
379 South Branch Road
Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Click here to see the Code of Conduct.
- Abner’s Cubing Classes
- Code Ninjas
- FIRST Lego League
- FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) New Jersey
- Likeable STEM
- Raritan Valley Community College
- Rutgers University, Division of Continuing Studies
- Somerset County Vocational & Technical Schools
- Toastmasters