HackWCU 2025: a Hackathon for HS Students
 

Friday, November 14, 2025

Sykes 117 Ballroom A

8:00am – 2:00pm

 

Call for Participation

The Department of Computer Science at West Chester University is hosting an in-person and hackathon for local high school students in our surrounding Berks, Chester, Lancaster, and York counties. (Other counties and out-of-state students are welcome to join too!)

3.5 hours of hacking are built into the day, as well as lunch, snacks, learning, and lots of fun!

A hacking theme will be presented to serve as a theme for projects.

Projects can span any of the following areas:

  • Intro Programming
  • Web Development
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • 3D Modeling
  • Game Development
  • Robotics
  • And more!

Registration

There is no cost to attend! HackWCU is sponsored by the Department of Computer Science.

Registration is limited to local secondary high schoolers in grades 9-12. Teachers must accompany students. Space is limited. Our maximum capacity is 150. The deadline to register is October 31, 2025.

Attention teachers: Please complete this registration form to initially register with an estimated number of participants. We’ll reach out to you directly closer to the event to confirm your student names, any dietary information, and other logistics.

Schedule

  • 8:00am-8:45am, Check-in
  • 8:45am, Announcements & Introductions
  • 9:00am, Hacking Begins
  • 11am, Lunch & Snacks
  • 12:30pm, Judging Begins
  • 1:15pm, Awards & Closing
  • 1:30pm, Departure

Lunch and snacks will be provided free of charge!

FAQ

What is a hackathon?

Think of a hackathon as an invention marathon. These events bring together student programmers, designers, and more -- to learn, build, and share cool new technology applications. Many universities host these events annually, providing a venue for students from different schools and backgrounds to work in teams to build these platforms from scratch.

Can I attend if I can’t code or am new to coding?

Yes! Mentors will also be available to help you learn and build something cool!

Do I need to come with a team?

Students will be accompanied by teachers. Students will be able to form teams on their own. Students from different schools can be on the same team. Max team size is 4.

What should I bring?

You should bring anything you want to hack with: laptops, phones, chargers, etc.

Can I work on a past project?

No. All projects must be worked on from scratch at the event. You'll have enough time to make something you can be proud of.

Will there be hardware that I can borrow?

Yes, we’ll also have some hardware on hand for you to use and experiment with.

Workshops

We’ll also have short tutorials and workshops for students who want to learn new programming tricks.

Is this hackathon beginner friendly?

Yes! No prior experience is needed. This hackathon is geared for students who like using and creating with technology.

Contact Information

  • Richard Burns, Professor & Department Chair, rburns@wcupa.edu