Our Crowdfunding Groups
Our team hopes to raise $4,000 for our annual hackathon. We will use the money to provide the best hackathon experience for our students from under-resourced backgrounds. Would you be interested in supporting our cause?
A hackathon is rooted in the simple but complex world of “creation.” During hackathons, teams come together to bring one of their own ideas into tangible reality using technology. Regardless of their interest in computer science, students are exposed to the wonders of technology and its impact on our world. Together, we can inspire the next generation of innovators to hack to new heights!
Every semester, ANova puts on a hackathon for students in underserved communities. This year, ANova Hacks 2024 will be a fully in-person, overnight, free-of-charge event designed to change the way our students think about computer science. We want to give them the skills and experience necessary to achieve their career aspirations, and spread their ideas to the world through technology.
Shay Ma, one of our mentors, helps a hacker at Anova Hacks 2022The majority of our students have grown up with little to no exposure to computer science, higher education, and the technology industry. We hope to not only transform the spark of an idea into a prototype, but also to ignite a passion for computer science in our participants. By presenting a firsthand look at virtual reality, gaming, web development, and more, we provide students with an exciting look into the forefront of technological innovation.
ANova Hacks merges the fundamental computer science techniques taught at our weekly site visits with events geared towards the construction of a project. Panels and workshops about financial aid, college life and the application process inspire students to pursue higher education in one of their passions. We offer students knowledge and advice from successful, experienced industry leaders as well as mentorship from passionate UC Berkeley students. Most of all, ANova Hacks is about forming friendships with our students so that they have the resources they need to achieve their goals.
Oftentimes, hackers who attend hackathons have prior experience and have been able to be exposed to the infinite possibilities out there. Computer science has consistently been more prevalent in communities with access to computers and prior knowledge about the tech industry. However, a significant amount of potential computer scientists don’t have access to these opportunities, and that’s where ANova Hacks fits in: a hackathon specially for students in under-resourced communities to show every one of them that they can change the world through the power of technology. We hope to empower our students so that they can transcend any limits and ignite a passion towards becoming an engineer in the future. We hope that you can be a part of this journey and help make this possible for our students!
Our hackathon aims to empower our students to use technology for social good. Through ANova Hacks, we aim to give them the skills and experience necessary to spread their ideas to the world. We imagine a diverse tech industry where age, gender and background do not limit one’s ability to pursue computer science, and ANova Hacks aims to make that a reality.
To introduce our students to various kinds of technologies they may be able to use throughout the hackathon, we will bring in industry experts and host a variety of workshops. Last year, we held an in-person hackathon and hosted workshops on topics ranging from financial aid in higher education to lessons on design prototyping and mobile development. Our experienced ANova members also led workshops on web development, game development, and introductory Python and Java. At ANova Hacks 2024, we hope to bring even more interesting and enlightening workshops to our students, such as sessions on computer security and machine learning.
To make this valuable experience accessible to our students, we host this hackathon free of charge. We ultimately look to raise around $10,000 for our hackathon so that we can provide fun workshops, mentorship, and awesome prizes for our hackers in a safe and spacious venue. The $4,000 from crowdfunding is only the first step in our journey to providing students with a safe, encouraging environment to work, learn, and have fun!
Every year, several students were unable to attend ANova Hacks due to conflicts with transportation to and from the venue. With extra funding, we’d like to encourage more students to attend our event by covering their transportation fees. We hope that you’ll be a part of our movement to inspire as many students as possible with computer science, mentorship, and a supportive, hands-on learning environment!
To truly expose our students to what industry is like, ANova has partnered with industry leaders like Google, Facebook, and HackerEarth in previous years to provide swag and panelists for our hackathon. This year is no different and we plan to seek sponsorships with various industry leaders in order to continue giving our students a first-hand glimpse into the industry. Our sponsors have made previous hackathons possible with their invaluable experience in helping out with workshops and panels to give our students the full experience. We would like to thank them below for making previous ANova Hacks amazing:
ANova is a registered student organization in UC Berkeley dedicated to improving computer science education in under-resourced communities across the Bay Area. We partner with middle and high school teachers and administrators to develop curriculum catered individually for each classroom. Our outreach and mentorship efforts strive to make computer science education and opportunities within computer science more equitable, available, and achievable for students of all backgrounds.
Anova Fall 2023!
We currently reach out to over 120 students at 8 different middle/high school programs. To be considered for our program, each one of these schools must provide above 40% free and reduced lunch. Every site has its own curriculum catered to its own specific needs. As part of our mission, we also host two large events annually: a semester-long college mentorship program (CMP) in the fall, where high school seniors are paired with an ANova mentor to guide them through the college admissions process, as well as ANova Hacks in the spring.
Help ANova fund a 24-hour hackathon for under-resourced students and spread the love for computer science! Please make a gift today!
Anova Hacks 2023Thank you for your support! If you have any further questions, comments, or concerns, contact Frank(frank.j.liu@berkeley.edu) or Melissa(mmvsal13@berkeley.edu)
To find out more about us, visit us at https://www.berkeleyanova.org/, facebook.com/BerkeleyANova, and check out our Instagram @berkeleyanova!
With a donation or $25 of more we will give you a special shoutout from our social media platform of your choice (Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn).
With a donation of $50 or more, we will send you a personalized thank you letter and in addition to all perks listed above.
With a donation of $100 or more we will feature you on our club website's donor wall in addition to all perks listed above.
With a donation of $250 or more we will gift you stickers from Anova Hacks 2024 in addition to all the perks listed above.
