Join us for a spectacular weekend dedicated to closing the gender gap, exploring new technologies, and building the next big thing! Our mission is to support and nurture students of marginalized gender identities in technology by hosting Southern California’s premier women-centric hackathon (trans and non-binary inclusive). Join us on campus at the University of Southern California (USC) or virtually for over 24 hours full of free food, technical workshops, mentorship, social activities, and more! No experience necessary – we only require curiosity and creativity!

Check us out in the press!

• What's a hackathon?

  A hackathon is a 24 hour event where students with similar interests come together to work on a project. You can attend workshops, hear from people in the computer science field and network with students and reps from companies!

• Who can attend?

  Undergraduate and graduate women, femme & non-binary students are welcome to attend; we'd love to have any males interested in helping our cause and any women in the industry to mentor or volunteer!
  

• Will AthenaHacks be virtual this year?

  Due to COVID-19, the hackathon will be a hybrid format this year and will take place from February 25-26, 2023.

• What is the hackathon schedule for 2023?

  You can download our 2023 hackathon schedule here!

• When will applications open and close?

  Applications are currently still open for virtual hackers! The link to apply is at the top of our website!

• Do I need to be a CS major or minor?

  No! This is the perfect place for any student to create their first coding project. We'll have plenty of resources for beginners to get started!

• Does this cost money?

  Nope! Admission is free! Our sponsors and AthenaHacks will provide you with the free swag!!

• How do teams work?

  At most teams can have 4 people. You can have your teammates in mind before the event, or you can find a team during our team formation activity before and after opening ceremony!

• Will there be hardware available?

  Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide hardware this year.

• Is there a code of conduct?

  Yes, we want to make AthenaHacks enjoyable for everyone! We follow MLH's Code of Conduct: here.

• Can I mentor?

  Yes! We welcome all regardless of gender who want to help. We appreciate all who want to support our cause. Mentors help hackers during the event with any technical questions they might have. Applications are open now for mentors!

• I want to join the organizing team. Where can I apply?

  Are you interested in making a huge impact on women in tech? Join AthenaHacks as an organizer! We recruit once a year in the fall for our Programs, Logistics, Finances and Marketing teams.

• Where can I find more info about opportunities and events?

  If you'd like to stay updated on all things AthenaHacks, subscribe to our newsletter here. We send out links to opportunities, interesting reads, and our favorite songs in every issue!

• Will transportation be provided?

  Lyft codes (up to $30) are available to go to and from USC. The codes will be given out on the day-of as well as when the event concludes on Sunday via email. Please ask in the Discord #carpool channel to find other hackers to carpool with prior to departure. Our Lyft codes are given on a first-come first-serve basis and we want as many hackers to take advantage of it as possible!

• How do I use the Lyft Codes?

  The codes will be active from 7-10AM Saturday morning, and new codes will be given out at the closing ceremony for Sunday from 4-7PM. Here are the locations you can Lyft to and from (within 0.5 miles of):

  • UCLA (757 Westwood Plz, Los Angeles, CA)
  • UCR (900 University Ave, Riverside, CA,)
  • Irvine Transit Station (15215 Barranca Pkwy, Irvine, CA,)
  • Union Station (800 N Alameda St)
  • USC (800 Downey Way)

  For more information on using the codes, check out this guide.

• Is parking provided on campus?

  Free parking will be available on a first-come first serve basis ON CAMPUS in the Downey Way Structure Parking lot. The entrance gate is McClintock Ave Entrance. Please email athenahacks@gmail.com ahead of time to ensure that we can help pay for your parking! If for some reason an AthenaHacks organizer is not there, please call (949) 374-3676.

  Free parking is also available around outside campus, such as at 3025 Royal St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. There is also street parking around campus and various parking garages on campus ($10-$12 per day). For evening parking, try near Chipotle (free after 8 pm).

if we missed your question, hit us up at athenahacks@gmail.com

Lizzie Siegle

Developer at Twilio