WHACK (Wellesley College Hackathon)

WHACK (the affectionate naming of the Wellesley College Hackathon) is the annual hackathon held at Wellesley College, a premier liberal arts college in the greater Boston area, and often acknowledged as the top women’s college in the world. At Wellesley, our motto is Non Ministrari sed Ministrare – Latin for “Not to be ministered unto, but to minister”. Just like the college, WHACK wishes to inspire students to impact the future, especially in the field of technology. This year, WHACK is aiming to host over 100 students to create a project that champions Wellesley and WHACK’s commitment to equity, access, opportunity, and spearheading change in the future. Participating students will work on projects under the overarching theme of “Hack Academy: Transforming Education”, to create the most revolutionary idea that can impact the future landscape of education. At Wellesley, diversity and inclusion are fundamental values that shape the community—and we make sure that WHACK is the same. Past hackers often mention WHACK’s inclusive, encouraging, and mentorship-oriented environment as the reason they continued to pursue computer science and related technical fields. In past years, hackers attended WHACK from over 120 schools and at least 70% identified as women or non-binary. For over 90% of participants, WHACK was their first-ever hackathon and exposure to tech in a non-academic setting, and we further encourage first-time hackers through a 1:3 mentor to student ratio and prizes specifically directed towards first-time hackers. We are dedicated to creating a dynamic and inclusive atmosphere where all students can grow, learn, and lead no matter where they end up, whether it is in academia, or in the industry.