Students of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds were encouraged to attend and excel at Def Hacks Virtual 2020. With the available beginner workshops and high school track, students from underprivileged nations were able to tackle computer science for the first time. Hackers were able to tackle pressing, real-life issues through our various tracks, including COVID-19 and its effect on schools, jobs, and public health.
Students got the opportunity to learn from the influential names in tech. Tom Preston-Werner, the tech billionaire who is a former CEO/Co-Founder of Github hosted an “Ask Me Anything” session to engage the next generation of technology entrepreneurs. Ge Wang, an award-winning professor from Stanford University, took the platform to share his experiences as a computer science and arts professor, along with ways that students are able to get more involved with technology through their experiences. Amjad Masad, founding developer of React Native and the CEO of Repl.it, talked about his experiences as a developer and CEO, and answered students’ burning questions.
At the end, hackers were able to join the virtual closing ceremony, featuring about 40,000 dollars in prizes! Two teams, one of which consisted entirely of high-school students, received a 1,000 dollar grant and a year-long mentorship from 1517 to grow their project into a company.
With the successes of the first virtual hackathon, Def Hacks is excited to announce a second one, coming soon this November With a target of over 5,000 attendees, Def Hacks Global 2.0 will be the largest virtual hackathon ever!