The Journey of CodeLab

How University Hackathons Built a Community of Engaged Students

Renato Cordeiro Ferreira

Renata Santos Miranda

Alfredo Goldman

University of São Paulo, Brazil

ICGJ 2024

renatocf@ime.usp.br

renata.miranda@usp.br

gold@ime.usp.br

[ https://renatocf.xyz/codelab-hackathons-icgj-2024 ]

Co-funder of CodeLab
Brazilian student group focused on stimulating technological innovation.

B.Sc. and M.Sc. at University of São Paulo (BR)

Theoretical and practical experience with machine learning and software engineering.

Scientific Programmer at JADS (NL)

Participating on European Projects using Machine Learning techniques.

Ph.D. candidate at USP

Research about intelligent software engineering, in particular metrics to build ML-enabled systems.

This presentation showcases the journey of CodeLab:
a student-organized initiative from the University of São Paulo
that has grown thanks to university hackathons

Goals

Stats

Impact

Our paper summarizes patterns, challenges, and lessons learned over 15 competitions organized by the group from 2015 to 2020.

HackathonIME

Our first experience

2016

2016

HackathonIME
stimulated the creation of CodeLab

We organized the first activities
– development courses, workshops, and study groups –
for other undergraduates at IME

1

chapter

5

members

CodeLab's first ever meeting (2015)

HackathonUSP

Engagement and Innovation

2016-2018

2016.1

2016.2

2017.1

2017.2

2018.1

2018.2

[ Increasing size and participants ]

HackathonUSP
helped to expand CodeLab

The group grew both in number of members,
expanding to other campuses of University of São Paulo
as new local chapters in different institutes

1 → 3

chapters

10 → 30

members

CodeLab's first independently organized hackathon (2018)

InterHack

Reach and Impact

2019

Selective 1

Selective 2

Selective 3

Finals

Finals

InterHack
consolidated CodeLab at USP

The group became one of the biggest and far-reaching
extracurricular groups at University of São Paulo,
receiving sponsorship from companies and the university

3

chapters

90

members

CodeLab's barbecue after InterHack (2019)

HackFools

Excitement and Integration

2018-2019

2018

2019

2020-2021

No event in 2020

(due to COVID-19 pandemic)

HackFools
helped CodeLab to attract new members

The group used HackFools to introduce junior students
to hackathons in a jokey, lighthearted way,
while training new group members in hackathon organization

1 → 3

chapters

10 → 90

members

First training of hackathon members from new chapters (2019)

SheHacks

Leadership and Diversity

2018-2023

2018

2029

2022

2023

SheHacks
helped CodeLab to increase diversity

The group organized SheHacks to attract more women
to participate in the group, and promoted leadership and protagonism among our female members by the organization

0 → +20

women members

0 → 8

women presidents

SheHacks organizers throughout the years (2019, 2022, 2023)

2019

2022

2023

DeepHack

Partnership and Contribution

2019

Opening

Judging

Presentation

DeepHack
led CodeLab outside of USP

The group made its first expansion besides the community
at University of São Paulo, thanks to receiving participants
from any university

3 → 4

chapters

2

universities

Hackathons made CodeLab one of the largest
student-led initiatives at the University of São Paulo

The CODIV-19 pandemic had a great toll on the
group’s institutional knowledge

By sharing the patterns, experiences, and lessons learned, CodeLab is resuming some of its events (like InterHack and HackFools), so it may keep impacting USP’s community.