- 700 Warrendale Rd. Gibsonia, PA
- February 1, 2025
HACK THE ram February 1, 2025
More information coming soon!
NOTE The middle school participants need to be picked at 6:30 PM and the high school participants at 8:00 PM.
In order to sign up for Hack the Ram, you MUST have a team. We are accepting no solo entries. There are separate forms for Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers to fill out. We are excepting 25 Middle School teams and 25 High School Teams, so sign up as soon as possible! The deadline to register is January 21st at midnight!
The Middle Schoolers will be let out at 6:30, and the High Schoolers are being dismissed at 8:00.
Open to Everyone!
Hack the Ram is a FREE, 12-hour invention marathon hosted at Pine-Richland High School. Participants with any level of programming or hardware experience are invited to work together and create a technology project from scratch. This event is open to all 6th to 12th grade students in the Pittsburgh area. We will have multiple seminars throughout the day to help you either learn how to code for the first time or fine tune your skills. Best of all, there will be free food, drinks, and t-shirts for all of our participants. Bring your friends and prepare for an amazing weekend!
One Mission. 12 Hours.
A hackathon is all about creating cool tech with like minded peers in a collaborative environment. Participants can work in teams of up to 4 (don’t worry, we will find you a team if you don’t have one). On the day of the competition, we will introduce the theme of the event and teams can begin working. In total, there will be around 10 hours of “hacking time” to create whatever website, app, program, or robot you can imagine. There will be plenty of food and fun activities to enjoy along the day. Hack the Ram staff and code mentors will be there every step of the way to ensure that everyone makes the best projects possible!
What will you make?
The students of today will create the technology of tomorrow. Our organizing team recognizes the transformational power of STEM and its pursuits. Hack the Ram brings like-minded students together from all over the Pittsburgh area and challenges teams to learn something new. We want every Hack the Ram participant to make something they are proud of. At the end of the day, prizes will be awarded to the best and most creative projects. Innovation knows no bounds, nor any age. We can’t wait to see you at Hack the Ram 2024!
SponsorS
Previous Sponsors
- PNC
- PPG Paints
- Net App
- Aspirational Health
- Robert Morris
- Schell Games
- GKG Orthodontics
Become a Sponsor
Read our sponsorship packet for more details then reach out!
Sponsorship PacketContact
2024 Sponsors
HTR TEAM
Left to Right: Valerie Klosky, Dante Pittorino, Olivia Molter, Allen Chen, Noah Orellena, Mintas Ivaska, Eunice Son, Mantavya Vashishth
2024 Prizes
High School 1st Place
Apple Watch SE
Middle School 1st Place
Ferietelf B12 GPS Drone
Programming Challenges
Elegoo UNO Super Starter Kit
All 2nd Place
Phanton 87 Mech. Keyboard
Best Beginner - HS
Anker Wireless Charger
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
WHAT IS A HACKATHON?
A hackathon is a competition where participants collaborate to build a technology project from scratch. Challenges are open-ended, giving hackers a wide variety of projects to create. Expand your imagination.
SO WHAT ARE WE HACKING?
Sorry to disappoint you but we are NOT actually hacking into any government websites. In the context of Hack the Ram, “hacking” refers to working with technology in a new and innovative way to solve real-world problems.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Did I forget to mention that the entire event is completely, 100% FREE? Participants pay nothing and receive two free meals, snacks, t-shirts, and the potential for some awesome prizes. The event is fully funded by our amazing sponsors. Go check them out below!
DO I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO CODE?
Not at all. Whether you have never written a line of code or consider yourself an expert, we will have seminars throughout the day to guide you through the entire process. There will also be code volunteers ready to walk alongside you if you get stuck or just need some inspiration.
WILL THERE BE FOOD?
What good is a hackathon without free food? Our amazing sponsors will provide lunch and dinner on Saturday, free of charge. There will also be snacks and drinks available whenever your brain needs to recharge.
DO I NEED TO BRING MY OWN COMPUTER?
Students are encouraged to bring their own technology if they have it, but we will have several chromebooks on site.
HOW MANY PEOPLE MAKE UP A TEAM?
Teams can contain up to 4 members. If you don’t have a team, don’t worry. We will have a team building ceremony directly after the opening ceremony. Working with new people is the best way to expose yourself to new styles of programming. If you have more than 4 people that you really want to work with, that’s okay but you will not be able to win any of the prizes.
WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?
Just for showing up, everyone at the event will get a one-of-a-kind Hack the Ram t-shirt, a bunch of new friends, and enough fun memories to last a lifetime. Now if you’re thinking, “that’s adorable…but really,” we’ve got you covered too. After judging on Friday night, prizes will be given out to some of the best and most creative projects. Don’t worry, there is also a category just for beginners.
IS THERE A THEME?
There will be a general theme for projects given to participants onsite, but it will be very open and give teams a lot of room to go in any direction they want.
WHAT IF I GET TIRED OF WORKING?
We kind of expected you to say that. On Friday afternoon, we are planning a bunch of fun games and tournaments to give our participants a brain break.
WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Feel free to shoot us an email at contact@hacktheram.com with any additional questions you might have!
VOLUNTEERS
We are looking for both student and adult volunteers in a wide range of time from 7:15am-8:30pm to be a judge, code mentor, food preparation and cleanup, games, and many more! Feel free to choose the time slot that best works for you! If you are interested, please sign up at the link below. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to contact@hacktheram.com!
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