Students Host Hackathon With $4,000 in Prizes

A group of teenagers at Emerald High School in Dublin, California, decided waiting for opportunities wasn't enough, so they created their own tech competition from scratch.

The student-run Emerald Tech Club is hosting the school's first-ever Innovation Challenge Hackathon this Saturday. More than 45 club members worked together to organize the beginner-friendly coding event, which is free and open to all students in grades 6 through 12.

Participants will have hours to build apps, websites, or software around a specific theme, working solo or in teams of up to four people. Professional software engineers will judge the projects and provide real-world feedback that young coders rarely get access to.

The stakes are real too. Corporate sponsors have backed the event with prizes worth up to $2,000, bringing the total prize pool to $4,000.

But the Emerald Tech Club's impact extends far beyond one weekend event. Throughout the school year, these student leaders teach their peers skills that most schools don't offer, from building and publishing apps to constructing robotic arms, 3D printing, and even dissecting smartphones to understand how they work.

The club uses project-based learning, meaning students don't just watch tutorials. They actually create things. Right now, members are preparing to compete in the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair with their own inventions.

The Ripple Effect

When students lead, other students follow. The hackathon gives younger middle schoolers a glimpse into what's possible when you combine creativity with coding skills. Many participants will write their first line of code at this event, guided by peers just a few years older who remember what it felt like to start.

Professional mentorship usually costs money or requires connections, but this weekend, any student can walk in and get feedback from working engineers. The club members are proving that age doesn't limit your ability to open doors for others.

Dublin is becoming a hub for youth-led tech events, with multiple student hackathons popping up across local high schools. Each one creates a pipeline for the next generation of problem solvers.

Registration remains open for Saturday's hackathon, and lunch is included because the organizers thought of everything.