MenloHacks is the official hackathon for the Menlo School in Atherton, CA. We will be gathering 250 high school students this spring for 24 hours to build anything pertaining to hardware or software. Nobody is hacking into anything in the traditional, nefarious sense; rather, students are coming together to innovate and learn.
In this context, the word "hack" means to create. A hackathon is an event where people come together for 24 hours to make something using the wonders of technology. But, the goal of a hackathon isn't just to create something: it's also to learn. Hackathons are the time to experiment with new technologies, APIs, SDKs, or even learn to code from scratch.
Anyone currently in high school is eligible to attend.
None at all. Hackathons are a fantastic place to learn and get advice from experienced hackers. However, we do recommend every team has at least one experienced hacker to provide guidance throughout the project. If you have taken AP Computer Science or a higher level of computer science, you should know enough to tackle a project without a more experienced hacker.
It is 100% free. Even meals, snacks, and drinks are included.
Bring some sort of photo ID (student IDs are fine), a laptop, and a charger. If you do not have a laptop, please contact us and we will help you try and rent one for the event. Also, if you are planning on hacking on hardware we cannot, at this time, guarantee hardware availability so bring your own hardware.
If you live in the area (defined as an hour drive or less away from the event), you are responsible for getting to the event yourself. If you live in the area and can't find a ride, contact us and we will help you find a carpool or a public transit option. There is a small chance we will be providing buses depending on the demand from further away areas within the State of California so apply anyway and we will work with you to help you get there. However, if you live outside California we will not be providing any sort of reimbursement so getting here is up to you.
Applications are currently closed.
4.
All accepted hackers will be given an invitation to a Facebook group which can be used to find teammates. As well, there will be a team-forming event at the hackathon itself. Obviously, if you have friends going to the event, you are welcome to just team up with them; however, it is often more fun to code with new people.
Because it is Menlo School's first hackathon, every school will be required to bring a chaperone. The chaperone must be there the entire time, but you can have multiple chaperones take shifts. A chaperone just needs to be any adult you know such as a parent or teacher. As well, the chaperone must undergo a Live Scan background check. There is a 72 hour processing time on Live Scan so we ask that the Live Scan be done by Tuesday, April 12. You can find a list of Live Scan locations here When you go to get your Live Scan background check, you will need to bring along this form
Yes, there is. Generally, be nice, respectful, and courteous to others. If you want the more complete guide we are using the MLH code of conduct which can be found here.
Email us at hello@menlohacks.com.
One of our goals in putting on MenloHacks is to make MenloHacks the ultimate destination for beginners and the experienced hacker alike. As part of that goal we are focusing on helping beginners as much as possible.
Using the MenloHacks app or website you will be able to request or chat with a mentor about whatever your problem may be. Having trouble configuring a database? Just request a mentor. Having trouble installing a framework? Just request a mentor. If it wasn't clear already, mentors will be everywhere to help you with your project.
Throughout the entire event, we will be hosting workshops on various technologies. The full schedule for these workshops will come out later, but rest assured, these workshops will help you get on your feet.
10:00 AM
Check-in
11:00 AM
Opening Ceremonies
12:00 PM
Team-Forming Session
12:00 PM
Hacking Begins
1:00 PM
Lunch
6:30 PM
Dinner
12:00 AM
Midnight Snack
7:00 AM
Breakfast
12:00 PM
Hacking Ends
12:15 PM
Lunch
12:45 PM
Judging Begins
2:15 PM
Closing Ceremony
3:30 PM
Go Home and Sleep
Scott Forstall
Former SVP of iOS, Apple
Brienne Ghafourifar
Co-Founder, Entefy
Jens Christensen
CEO, Jaunt
Mike Cassidy
Vice President, Project Loon at Google
