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Branksome Hall News
Hackergal Hackathon
When girls code they solve problems, create solutions and have fun! That’s why we jumped at the chance to host another Hackergals’ Hackathon, which introduces young girls to coding.
“It’s really fun because there’s a whole bunch of coding involved,” said Daanya, Grade 5 student.
Over 60 students from Grades 5, 7 and 8 participated in the all-day event, programming games and stories in pairs. “Working together as a team is the best part, seeing each other’s ideas is really interesting and you have a lot of different perspectives,” said Daanya. “Also, it’s really fun to collaborate because it really gets your brain going,” added Francesca, Grade 5 student.
The day consisted of hands-on learning as students began with a tutorial on how to use the game and story development platform. They then put their knowledge to work and brainstormed project ideas—problem-solving along the way.
“Sometimes you get frustrated and it’s really hard because you play it and something is missing,” said Daanya. Students had to investigate and check their coding through trial and error. “There’s a lot of math in here because you have to figure out how to move the characters,” said Francesca, whose team decided to create a sequel story to Frosty the Snowman for their Hackathon project.
While the Hackathon is about the student’s projects, it’s also about inspiring, encouraging and empowering them to consider a future in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers.
Over 60 students from Grades 5, 7 and 8 participated in the all-day event, programming games and stories in pairs. “Working together as a team is the best part, seeing each other’s ideas is really interesting and you have a lot of different perspectives,” said Daanya. “Also, it’s really fun to collaborate because it really gets your brain going,” added Francesca, Grade 5 student.
The day consisted of hands-on learning as students began with a tutorial on how to use the game and story development platform. They then put their knowledge to work and brainstormed project ideas—problem-solving along the way.
“Sometimes you get frustrated and it’s really hard because you play it and something is missing,” said Daanya. Students had to investigate and check their coding through trial and error. “There’s a lot of math in here because you have to figure out how to move the characters,” said Francesca, whose team decided to create a sequel story to Frosty the Snowman for their Hackathon project.
While the Hackathon is about the student’s projects, it’s also about inspiring, encouraging and empowering them to consider a future in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers.
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.
Setting the new standard for girls' education everywhere takes collective action. From all of us.
