Pittsburgh Area Hackathon 2021
Open to Everyone!
Hack the Ram is a FREE, 24-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 7th to 12th grade students in the Pittsburgh area. We will have multiple seminars throughout both days 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. 24 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). The event is spread across two days. On Friday, we will introduce the theme of the event and teams can begin working. At the end of the day, we will encourage teams to continue working overnight (did I hear sleepover?). On Saturday, teams can continue to work and prepare for judging in the afternoon. In total, there will be around 24 hours of “hacking time” to create whatever website, app, program, or robot you can imagine. 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 2021!
Event Schedule 2021
*This schedule is subject to change and will be avaliable in our event program provided on-site.
Register as a team of up to 4 people. If you don’t have a team before the competition, you can create one with other people at the team building seminar. Registration will close at 4:00 PM.
Location: Lobby, PRHS
Sit back and relax as we prepare you for the next 24 hours of problem solving and critical thinking.
Location: Auditorium, PRHS
Students that don’t have a team already can join a new one. Teams don’t have to be exclusive to schools.
Location: Lobby, PRHS
Hacking Begins! Participants must use their time wisely - 24 hours go by fast.
Location: Cafeteria (Atrium), PRHS
Programming 101 | 5:00 PM | Room 417 - No experience required
Hardware Level 1 (Sphero) | 5:00 PM | STEAM - Learn to code with a Sphero
Intro to App Design (AppInventor) | 6:00 PM | Room 417 - Requires personal laptop
Hardware Level 2 (Arduino) | 6:00 PM | STEAM - Learn to use more advanced hardware
Location: Multiple, PRHS
Food provided by our sponsors. Snacks and drinks provided all day.
Location: Cafeteria (Main), PRHS
End of first day of hacking. Keep working overnight and stay with teams if possible!
Location: Cafeteria (Main), PRHS
Sign in will close at 9:00 AM. Donuts will be available for participants and volunteers.
Location: Lobby, PRHS
Hacking Begins! Participants must use their time wisely - 24 hours go by fast.
Location: Cafeteria (Atrium), PRHS
Food provided by our sponsors. Snacks and drinks provided all day.
Location: Cafeteria (Main), PRHS
Sphero Competition | 2:00 PM | TBD - Fun competition with Sphero robots
Dodgeball | 3:00 PM | Main Gym - Fun game of dodgeball to relieve some stress
Location: Multiple PRHS
Judges will evaluate projects based on a variety of factors that will be provided at the event.
Location: Cafeteria (Atrium), PRHS
Parents are invited to a fireside chat and award ceremony presentation. Hopefully you will all leave with a new understanding of technology and continue to expand your horizons.
Location: Auditorium, PRHS
Frequently Asked Questions 2021
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 both days 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 dinner on Friday and lunch 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 Saturday, prizes will be given out to some of the best and most creative projects. We will be handing out some sweet tech items like bluetooth speakers, Echo dots, mini Spheros, and even drones (worth $100) for each member of your team! Don't worry, there is also a category just for beginners.
I want to win more stuff?
Well that's not a question but I can answer it anyway. If you get your friends to sign up, have them list your name in the referral section of the registration form. For every person who you refer (and actually shows up to the event), your name will be added to a raffle to win a pair of AirPods Pro (valued at over $250)!
Is there a theme?
There will be a general theme for projects given to participants on-site, 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 Saturday, we are planning a bunch of fun games and tournaments to give our participants a 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!
Meet our Team!
Rebecca Peng
Event Director
Will Sangpachatanaruk
Head of Hacker Experience
Gianna Julio
Head of Design
Chris Mohri
Head of Logistics
Rand Hasan
Head of Communications
Amish Sethi
Head of Sponsorship
Gallery
Photos from Hack the Ram 2019!
