Ana Lucía Pérez is founder of De a Pokito por Puerto Rico
On October 17th, nonprofit De a Pokito por Puerto Rico held the sixth edition of the BrainyHacks PR Hackathon.
The hackathon brought together 41 young people aged 12 to 17 from the southern region of Puerto Rico, and they worked in teams to develop and pitch apps using MIT App Inventor. Each team had a junior mentor responsible for leading the work made during the event. The projects addressed challenges aligned with the mission of environmental and scientific organizations.
Students had the opportunity to learn about computational action, artificial intelligence, and how to use science, art, and technology to care for the environment.
The mission of this hackathon was to empower young people to become conscious leaders regarding the issues affecting our community and to develop critical thinking, programming, and creativity skills, inspiring them to pursue careers in STEAM disciplines. Additionally, participants were encouraged to participate in the MIT Global Appathon with apps that support UN’s sustainable development goals.
It is important for young people to identify problems in the community, whether they are related to environmental health, sustainability, or contributing to the protection of species and ecosystems. By participating in this hackathon, they not only learn about the topic but also gain the opportunity to raise awareness and become the leaders that our planet needs.