TeenTechWA 3rd Annual Techathon

On November 10th, 2017 TeenTech Washington will hold its third annual Techathon. The event is open to teams of students from grades 6 though 12 in the Puget Sound area and beyond. The goal of the Techathon is to engage participants in civic problem solving through the use of modern technology.

Teams will spend the day working to create technology solutions for real-world problems. We call it a Techathon, because it is open to any use of modern technology you can imagine. This could be programming, circuitry, 3D modeling, photo editing, or anything else. No experience is required and tech-industry professionals will be onsite as mentors for the entirety of the event. At the end of the event, teams will have the opportunity to pitch their project to a panel of judges, and the winners will have the opportunity to submit their projects to the TeenTech Wold Pitch, a global competition.

The event is completely free, with a light breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks provided. Regular supplies, such as paper, pens, scissors and glue, will be available on site, and teams should bring their own computers and any specialty electronics they think they may need.

Find your team members and sign up by November 1st!

What is a Techathon?

As far as we know, our Techathon is the first of its name, so you may be wondering exactly what it is. It is based on the premise of the civic hackathon, but it might be easier to just walk through it all:

What is a Hackathon?

A traditional hackthon is an invention marathon, a collaborative software and/or hardware development competition, where teams of hackers work for multiple days to create a prototype or shippable product.

What is a Civic Hackathon?

A civic hackathon is a hackathon where the goal is to solve civic issues. Teams work together within a time limit to create a software or hardware solution to one of multiple prompts provided  by the organizers.

What is our Techathon?

The TeenTech Washington Techathon invites middle and high school students to work on any project they like that makes use of modern technology. This could be programming, circuitry, 3D modeling, photo editing, or anything else. Participants will answer one of three civic prompts, and have the opportunity to pitch their project to a panel of judges.

Event Schedule

8:00-8:15 - Check-in
8:30 - Opening Ceremonies
9:00 - Hacking Begins
12:30 - Lunch
4:00 - Snacks, Pitch workshop
6:00 - Dinner
8:00 - Pitch presentations
9:30 - Closing ceremony, prizes

Please read the Tecathon FAQ for more detailed information, and contact us at teentechwa@gmail.com with any further questions.