Hackathon Highlights

This summer also featured four student hackathons — with two more to come. Each one pushed students to collaborate, problem-solve, and prototype solutions:

• Safety First (High School): Students from Wards 7 & 8 used AI and vibe coding to create gamified safety apps. The winning prototype helped children practice crossing the street safely, avoid stranger danger, and access emergency contacts.

• The Custom Oil Lab (Elementary): Students explored biology, wellness, and entrepreneurship by creating personalized body oils and branding them for a red-carpet showcase.

• Game Development Hackathon: Elementary students experimented with gamification, coding, and design to pitch their own game concepts.

• Python Prototyping (Mixed Ages): Students took on advanced challenges, building apps and digital tools with Python to solve real-world problems.

Every hackathon confirmed what we already knew: D.C. youth have the creativity and talent to shape the future.