CATALYST
Sunday, April 16th 2023
hexlabs
About
HexLabs presents Catalyst, a day of STEM-related activities directed toward high school students all throughout Georgia!
This will be an opportunity for participants to:
- Learn about the world of STEM and Computer Science as a career path
- Gain insight into impactful, widely-known technology companies
- Receive mentorship from college students and other industry professionals
- Connect with opportunities at Georgia Tech to further their education and exposure
If You Are a Current Georgia Tech Student
You're still able to participate in the event! Each year, GT students volunteer as mentors to help facilitate the projects and activities included in each available track. This is an opportunity for you to directly interact with high school students across Georgia, provide helpful knowledge to aspiring minds, and share your passion for computer science and engineering.
The core responsibilities of mentors include:
- Co-leading a student cohort
- Encouraging mentees to network within cohorts
- Inspiring mentees to learn both during and after the event
- Arriving on-time and staying throughout the duration of the event
Mentor registration is opening soon!
During the Day
Throughout the day, students will have the opportunity to follow one of six tracks: AI/ML, Web Scraping, Intro to Chemical Engineering, Cracking the Code: Cryptography and Number Theory, or UI/UX Design.
Each track consists of interactive workshops and curriculum that encourages students to think critically and creatively. Additionally, there will be opportunities for students to engage and connect with various industry professionals and college students.
We want to show high school students the value of computer science, which is why we are providing all of the resources you'll need to get started!
NEW: Catalyst Cohort
We are introducing a cohort program that extends the vision
of our Catalyst learn-a-thon. A select group of students will have the opportunity to join the Catalyst Cohort.
Those who join the cohort will have a two-month immersive
introductory STEM experience in web development before our learn-a-thon event!
In addition to the extended exploration into web development, students will have the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities, like field trips, office visits, and campus tours, for insight into professional and academic possibilities. Cohort members will also have access to and work with HexLabs mentors to complete a unique personal project!
You can apply for the cohort when completing registration!
Our goals
- To foster connections between students with like-minded interest in computer science
- To create a community beyond students' high schools for discussion, interaction, and innovation
- To encourage the long-term development of students ability to create impactful projects
- To allow prospective college students to see the innovative facilities and programs that Georgia Institute of Technology has to offer
Tracks
AI/ML
Do you ever wonder how things like Netflix recommendations and Spotify playlists are made? Are you a technical person and like learning about what goes on in the background? If so, you should consider the ML track! In this track, you will learn how concepts like Data Science and AI come together to create Machine Learning based products! Things like data integration, learning models, and information recognition will become much less foreign to you after going through this track.
Web Scraping
In this track, we'll teach you how to take in data from the web to use for analysis or code through Python. We will mainly be webscraping websites- looking at the websites that you use everyday and give you a look behind the curtain into their web code and their data. At the end of the day, every student will have the chance to choose their own topic and web data to investigate as a personal project. Make sure to join this track if you want to expand your coding knowledge and are interested in the behind the scenes of the internet!
Intro to Chemical Engineering
This track aims to give students a brief overview about organic chemistry, chemical synthesis, and chemical engineering. We will introduce the basic concepts of organic chemistry, polymer science, and chemical engineering. In the end, students are able to work in groups to make chemical bonds, molecules, and polymer structures using the molecule kit provided by us. This workshop is for students who are interested in chemistry, chemical engineering, and biotechnology.
UI/UX Design
If you're interested in technology and design, then UI/UX is the perfect combination! UI/UX is all about creating easy to use and visually appealing designs for websites and apps. It's a skill that is in high demand, as companies are focused on creating products that offer a great user experience. This track will teach you basic UI/UX principles, industry tools like Figma, and other skills that will help you succeed in a career in technology design.
Understanding the Virtual World: Algorithms and Data Structures
Want to know more about how apps like Spotify and TikTok work? Join us for “Understanding the Virtual World” track to get an in depth understanding of the data structures and algorithms that are used in building your favorite social media platforms! Students will also have the opportunity to utilize the information they learn to design their very own project!
Start your Story!
Schedule
- 08:30 AM - 09:30 AM Drop off/Check in
Come to the check-in table at Klaus to get registered for the event!
- 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM Opening Ceremony
Join us for our 2023 opening ceremonies!
- 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM First Learning Block
Have fun learning in your first block of the day!
- 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM Guest Speaker
Join us for our guest speaker!
- 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM Lunch
Join us in the Klaus Atrium for some sandwiches from Lee's Bakery and some fun board games!
- 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM Second Learning Block
Have fun learning in your second block of the day!
- 03:45 PM - 04:15 PM Speaker Panel
Join us to hear from Georgia Tech students at our speaker panel!
- 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM Closing Ceremony
Join us for closing ceremonies and expo to see what your peers created today!
- 05:30 PM Pick Up
We hope you had fun at Catalyst and hope to see you next year!
FAQ
Other Questions?
Email us at: [email protected] and we'll be happy to help!