Bellmore-Merrick middle schools compete in annual hackathon

Teams from Merrick Avenue and Grand Avenue middle schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District faced off in a inter-district Hackathon last month.

A hackathon is an event where individuals, typically programmers, designers, and other tech enthusiasts, come together to collaborate intensively on software projects. The word “hack” in hackathon doesn’t necessarily refer to unauthorized access or malicious activities but rather to the creative and innovative programming efforts participants put into solving problems or creating new applications.

Under the guidance of coaches Dan Stiglitz and Michelle Biancardo, students demonstrated exceptional coding skills, creativity and teamwork.

The Grand Avenue Monster coders emerged victorious. The top eight students from each building will advance to compete in the Long Island Jr. Division Kid OYO Code Conquest Hackathon on March 15 in Hauppauge.

“We are proud of all the students and are excited to see their skills in action again in March,” Grand Avenue Principal Carlo Conte said.