by Zoe Guo

On March 25, 2025, beginner coders and tech enthusiasts will gather at Sharon High School to compete for the prestigious title of Hackathon Champion.

The SHS Hackathon, organized by the Girls Who Code and Web Development clubs of SHS, aims to apply technology and STEM skills on a larger level. By presenting a global issue as the theme of each Hackathon, the event challenges participants to think outside of the box and apply coding concepts to real-world problems. For example, 2024’s prompt “AI for Social Good” asked competitors how to incorporate machine learning into daily life. Submissions included career exploration sites powered by chatbots, lunch programs that used image recognition to reduce waste, and even a school-friendly version of ChatGPT.

Although the Hackathon’s focus is on programming, it offers life lessons as well. Former competitor Ankita Varigonda says the competition taught her how to plan efficiently and work with others. “I also felt amazed at what my team and I could create in a few hours while running on a whole ton of pizza and salad,” said Varigonda.

Contestants in the Hackathon are assured a fun experience and could potentially receive prizes for their code—and there’s also free food. To participate, be sure to sign up online before Tuesday, March 25!

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit the Hackathon online at https://hackathon.shsdevs.com/.