By Ellissa Barclay de Tolly

Contributing Writer

Amidst computer science events dominated by male-heavy turnouts, Simmons College’s SharkHack returns Sept. 30, 2016 to provide a event where women can comfortably explore their true programming potential.

Hackathons are exploding in popularity at universities and colleges across the U.S., providing computer science students and enthusiasts a space to stretch their coding skills, express their creativity, and meet like-minded people. However, many hackathons tend to cater towards the male demographic, which may discourage women from participating as fully and unabashedly as their peers. This concern inspired student organizers at Simmons College to create SharkHack: a judgement-free environment for female, non-binary, and transgender technology enthusiasts to network and compete.

“We had a very successful event last year,” said Karina Berçan, a lead student organizer at SharkHack. “Many participants said they learned a lot from each other, and that mentors from the Boston tech scene helped make it a valuable experience.”

SharkHack will last 24 hours, starting Friday, Sept. 30 and endiwng Saturday, Oct. 1. Hardware and Software hacks of any kind will be encouraged, and some will even be eligible for a prize.

Mentors of any gender will be available to provide technical expertise and guidance to teams during SharkHack. Anyone is encouraged to attend, regardless of gender and programming experience.

For more information, visit scsharkhack.org.