CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – This weekend, the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center hosted its Hack the Valley “hackathon.”
Over 50 students from local high schools participated in the two-day event, all trying to build the best application.
More than $2,000 worth of prizes were given away, thanks to many local sponsors.
Applications were judged based on different aspects, including social impact, design and use of AI.
Many ideas were brought to the table, such as a wristband to find lost babies and a new video game.
“Anybody can learn how to code, anybody can learn to 3D print, anybody can learn engineering, and it’s a very short period of time that you can learn it and actually start to build a prototype and get what we call an MVP, and then be a minimum viable product. It’s something that they have the ability to actually pitch to companies and get sponsors,” said Michael Sekol, a software engineering teacher at MCCTC.
Sekol says these events are great for students because they help them get exposed to new technologies and create opportunities to earn internships.