Help us show some 4th, 5th and 6th graders what code is all about!

Nashville Software School is a co-sponsor of a free Youth Hack-a-thon with RePublic Schools. RePublic is hosting the event 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12 at RePublic High School, 3307 Brick Church Pike, Nashville. Students can register alone or as a team of two or three. The event is open to any 4th, 5th or 6th grader in the Nashville area. No prior experience is necessary.

The students will compete to build the best computer game using Scratch, a block-based programming language. NSS is providing laptop prizes for the winning team, and we are also working with RePublic Schools to find experienced developers to work with the student teams. We want each student team to have at least one developer working with them as a mentor.

We are reaching out to ask our graduates, mentors, and partners to “pay it forward” and give four hours of your time to help expose some local youth to the power and creativity associated with computer programming.

To volunteer, get in touch with us via email at info@nashvillesoftwareschool.com. We will build a list of volunteers and coordinate with RePublic to share additional event information.

The event will be held in the Cato Computer Science Center - a new facility connected to RePublic High School. The center is a resource for the entire Nashville community, particularly students in grades K through 12. Come learn more about the Cato Computer Science Center, help some students explore programming, and help support the growth of our technology community.