What to Expect From Our Organization

The projects that the students work on at the hackathons vary widely and depend on the nature of the nonprofit they are helping. Not only are they generally informational and functional, but they serve specific purposes. The students create applications that are educational, insightful, and engaging to all ages.

Our Learning Opportunities Help Communities

Students are taught powerful skills that allow them opportunities to help their communities in many ways. To give you a better idea of what the students create, we show two samples here.

Maddie’s Herd

App created by kids
Maddie's Herd

The goal of this project was to provide information on Maddie and Primary Immune Deficiency Disorder. The information App told Maddie’s story, along with a video, as well as background data on this medical condition.

Woodbury Middle School & Regional School District 14 Hackathon, Woodbury, CT — November 2016

Global Connections

Apps created by girl
Global Connections

This App is called Switching Lives and was designed to connect girls with their peers around the world. The motivation for this role-playing App is to give the users the opportunity to see what life looks like from someone else’s point of view.

Westover Hackathon, Westover School, Middlebury, CT — April 2017

What Our Events Are Like

RHoKJr was featured on CBS News in 2014. In the video below, Patrice Gans (the founder and executive director of RHoK, Jr.) explains how the students learn about the non-profits and how to help the populations of those non-profits.

“It was a great day. The children were so focused and excited about what they were doing and how what they were doing demonstrated how you can use technology for good. If we can harness that positive energy in our youth today we can certainly hope to create lasting and positive change in the world.”

KEN MURDOCH
CIO from Save The Children, representing Newtown Kindness

Everyone Benefits From RHoK, Jr.

Preteens

Mentors

Nonprofits

A Typical Day At RHoK, Jr.

Here’s a look at a typical day at RHoK, Jr. The day runs roughly from 8:00AM-3:30PM with two breaks and 1/2 hour for lunch.

8:00 – 8:30 AM
Mentors and nonprofits check- in

8:30 – 9:00 AM
Arrival & check-in team assignments
Students are seated at tables (either with friends or randomly) where they have the opportunity to talk with the Mentors and nonprofits before the program officially begins.

9:00 – 9:20 AM
Opening remarks – overview of the day
Information about App — Video about App Inventor (from Made with Code) which helps to demonstrate the power of coding for good.

9:20 – 11:00 AM

Identifying the problem and researching a solution
Learn about the nonprofit and its challenges. Walk through of Starbursting – the first step of the brainstorming process. Begin design. Snack break.

11:00 – 11:30 AM
Start coding — pair programming video check-in

11:30 – 12:00 PM
Lunch

12:00 – 1:15 PM
Coding continues
Afternoon break

1:25 – 3:00 PM
Implementing the solution
Code, upload App to google drive, save App to Device. Package the App, and prepare for Poster Presentations

3:00 – 3:30 PM
Poster presentation to family and friends

3:30 PM
Pickup and check-out

Are you a nonprofit or mentor who would like to help out?