A hackathon for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 is being held at 4804 Granite Drive, Rocklin CA on the weekend of May 9th and 10th. Sacapalooza kicks-off at 9am on Saturday and ends at 5:30pm on Sunday. Only 75 students are able to attend, so sign-up quick if you plan on participating! 

The hackathon is being sponsored by Hacker Lab and Sierra College to ensure participants have access to the best resources during the event. Teaching will be provided by community volunteers and local entrepreneurs or students who will be running a variety of educational workshops on the first day to prepare attendees ahead of building solutions during the second day. 

Workshops will include; 

• Quadcopter programming, 
• Mobile App Development, 
• LEGO Mindstorms, 
• Snap Circuits Hacking, 
• 3D Printing, 
• Lock Picking, and much more! 

Sessions cover a variety of programming skills such as game development, hardware programming for devices such as the Intel Galileo, and how to use design tools. Participants do no have to stay for both days, but the organisers recommend you do so to ensure getting the full benefit out of the event. 

The hackathon is relaxed in terms of rules; with hackers allowed to use "any tools, tricks, gems, shortcuts, or workarounds you’ve discovered over the years to help you build quicker. Use any frameworks, hosting service, etc. you please." 

Whilst any tools are available for use, all assets such as design, art, and music must be created during the event to ensure a level playing-field for all participants. Plans and brainstorms are allowed to be made ahead of the event.

Up to five people are allowed in each team, and will retain full-ownership of whatever they create during the hackathon. 

Do you think Sacapalooza will help educate teenagers about the benefits of programming? Let us know in the comments.