A group of 15 RCC students got their competitive juices flowing at RCC’s first annual Hackathon February 28. The three-person team “The Renaissance Coders” were named the winner, but all five teams gained valuable digital literacy, problem solving, collaboration, and Generative AI skills that are needed in today’s job market. No prior experience was required to compete.
The teams were given three hours to develop a digital solution to increase student adoption and engagement with RCC’s online platforms. “We thought about the barriers we face and what we would like to see improved,” said student participant Sachia DeBrosse. “It was very engaging for us.” After the students shared their ideas, a panel of professionals evaluated the teams for their innovation, technical execution and presentation before selecting a winner. RCC officials are considering putting some of the concepts the students presented into practice.
RCC Computer Science Club President Derek Goodwin of Dorchester led the immersive hands-on experience. “It was beautiful to see how everyone’s minds started working,” Goodwin said. “People had fun, learned more about what a computer can do, and how to be creative with it.” Goodwin is majoring in Information Technology and is also a member of the RCC AI Steering Committee.
Dr. Mya Bowen was the RCC Faculty Advisor for the event. “This event embodied the spirit of innovation and digital empowerment. They are values that are at the heart of our computer science program and the broader RCC community,” Bowen added. “It is our hope that the Hackathon will open up the floodgates of interest in technology for students across all disciplines, who might otherwise have been intimidated.” In the next ten years the tech workforce will grow twice as fast as the overall U.S. workforce and 90% of the jobs in the United States by 2030 will require digital skills. Despite this, a third of U.S. workers lack those skills.
