Leading tech online retailer supports computer programming sprint competition, encouraging students’ interests in the sciences

Newegg (NASDAQ: NEGG), a leading global technology e-commerce retailer, today announced its exclusive, sole sponsorship of hackIMSA, a 48-hour virtual Illinois statewide high school hackathon, taking place May 13-15. The hackathon is the first of its caliber in Illinois.

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Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy students, who are members of the Code Society computer science club, pause while organizing hackIMSA, a Newegg-sponsored Illinois statewide virtual high school hackathon, taking place 48 consecutive hours, May 13-15. From left: Anirudh Chari, Blessita Charly, Shria Halkoda and Kevin Huang. (Photo: Business Wire)

Developed and hosted by Code Society, a computer science club at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), a top-rated, magnet high school in Aurora, Ill., hackIMSA is a virtual sprint programming competition for computer science students from high schools throughout the state.

The competition is open to individuals or teams of up to five and runs 48 consecutive hours: beginning at 6 p.m. Central Time on Friday, May 13, and ending at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 15.

A leading desktop PC, laptop and components retailer, Newegg pursued the competition’s exclusive sponsorship to support Illinois high school students’ interests in computer programming. The company provided Newegg gift cards totaling $5,000 to be distributed among the winning teams at the hackathon’s conclusion.

Newegg also contributed through marketing support and by providing an experienced computer science employee to serve as one of the judges.

For additional details and to register (Illinois high school students only; registration closes May 13 at noon Central Time) please access this link: https://newegg.io/hackIMSA

“Our club was interested in hosting a statewide, virtual hackathon for high school students because it’s an opportunity to engage our computer science and problem-solving skills in an exciting, challenging 48-hour only competition,” said Anirudh Chari, an event organizer from Code Society at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. “With Newegg’s sponsorship and direction, we expect our hackathon to be an enticing opportunity for high school computer science enthusiasts like us to participate in hackIMSA and continue to fuel their passion for STEM subjects into the future.”

Hackathon participants are voting on topics for the competition from seven categories: economics/business, transportation, healthcare, language/communication, environment, education, and entertainment. At the beginning of the competition, the three topics with the most votes will be unveiled, and then individuals or teams of up to five students will have 48 hours to complete their programming project. For social distancing and to reach students throughout the entire state, the competition will be entirely virtual.

An example provided of how a team may tackle a topic: if transportation is the subject, a team could create a program that simulates and predicts the flow of traffic at an intersection.

Winners will be judged on their project’s usability, theme relevancy, computational complexity, design expertise, creativity and their code’s organization. The top five highest scoring teams will advance to hackIMSA’s final round, a high-stakes live presentation of their projects, after which, winners will be crowned.

Teng-Yung Lin, business systems analyst for Newegg and a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign technology management master’s degree graduate, will serve as one of the competition’s judges.

Newegg helps various communities, charities and causes through its Newegg Cares initiative.

“We always want to encourage high school students with interests in STEM topics. Our customers are fascinated and engaged with computers, so we were eager to support this hackathon. Students who pursue their interests and talents during high school can set a strong foundation for a successful and rewarding future,” said Montaque Hou, Chief Technology Officer for Newegg. “The hackIMSA event is an exciting opportunity for students to show their problem-solving skills and creativity. We’re looking forward to seeing all the interesting projects that Illinois high school students create this weekend.”

About Newegg

Newegg Commerce, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEGG), founded in 2001 and based in the City of Industry, Calif., near Los Angeles, is a leading global online retailer for PC hardware, consumer electronics, gaming peripherals, home appliances, automotive and lifestyle technology. Newegg serves businesses’ e-commerce needs with marketing, supply chain, and technical solutions in a single platform. For more information: Newegg.com.

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