Build Your Coding Confidence and Explore the World of STEM with TechTogether

Join us for a day of inspiring workshops that will
prepare you for your first hackathon.

100% Free. Your learning journey starts here.

An Introduction to Hackathons, Coding, and a Career in Technology.

We get it. Hackathons, coding, technology - all these things are scary as a young beginner on the outside, looking in. At PreHacks, our aim is to help high schoolers conquer these fears and ace their next hackathon. This program is designed to serve people of marginalized genders.
PreHacks is a FREE one day virtual learnathon consisting of non-stop workshops and activities led by the TechTogether team. By the end of the program, each attendee will walk away with a basic understanding of hackathons and programming fundamentals.
Last year, 99% of attendees said they would recommend PreHacks to a friend and 81% said PreHacks increased their confidence in attending future hackathons.

What is the difference between a learnathon and a hackathon?


As its name suggests, a learnathon is focused on learning and is designed to help introduce participants to the world of tech and the hacker community. At PreHacks, you’ll be immersed in an inclusive space where you can attend tons of workshops and fun activities, learn basic programming fundamentals, and get prepared to attend your next hackathon!

At a hackathon, you’ll have the chance to apply the skills you gained during the learnathon to build a really cool project with a team from start to finish. You’ll have the opportunity to continue developing your skills, compete for awesome prizes, and engage with the broader hacker community.

Program Dates

We run PreHacks right before each TechTogether hackathon, so you can meet friends and teammates to hang out with at the hackathon the following weekend.
Each PreHacks program is run on a Saturday from 9AM to 6PM local time.
  • 📅 Saturday, August 28th, 2021 (EST)
  • 📅 Saturday, October 9th, 2021 (EST)
  • 📅 Halloween-themed! Saturday, October 30th, 2021 (PST) 🎃
  • 📅 Saturday, January 22nd, 2022 (EST)
  • 📅 Saturday, February 5th, 2022 (EST)
  • 📅 Saturday, February 19th, 2022 (CDT)

PreHacks Sponsors

Housed in the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Spark! is the technology incubator and experiential learning lab for student led computational and data driven projects at Boston University.

UX is an exciting, fast-growing, high-paying, impactful discipline. But where do you start? Start with Balsamiq! Balsamiq Wireframes is the perfect first UX design tool for anyone interested in getting into UX.

Boston University is a leading private research institution with two primary campuses in the heart of Boston and programs around the world.

Microsoft enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

At Capital One, we’re advancing our culture of belonging—where everyone feels seen, heard, valued and free to be their authentic selves.

Frequently Asked Questions

No coding experience is required to attend. The point of PreHacks is to teach you the skills you need to build projects for hackathons and learn coding fundamentals.
You can attend as much of as little of the event as you'd like. We understand that not everyone can dedicate a full-weekend to the program.
All you need is a laptop and access to wifi. If you don't have one or both of these resources, please email us at [email protected]
PreHacks is not a hackathon, but a program to help prepare you to attend future hackathons.
No, PreHacks is specifically for high school students only. However, we will have similar beginner-friendly workshops and activities at all of our gender-focused hackathons that you can attend.

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