About the Event

On October 10–11, 2026, Kelly Nie, President of the Chatham High School (CHS) Computer League Club, led a group of five CHS students — Aryan Sood, Shirley Nie, Maryem Ammous, and Liam Kay — in participating in hackPHS 2026, Princeton High School's seventh annual hackathon. The five students formed two teams to take part in the 24-hour event.

hackPHS brought together more than 350 high school students for a weekend of coding and collaboration. This year's theme, "Into the Skies," encouraged participants to explore ideas of artificial intelligence, aerospace, environmental challenges, and more. Students worked in teams to develop projects, with submissions due Sunday morning for judging.

In addition to the main competition, hackPHS offered workshops in Python, Java, web development, generative AI, and vibe coding, along with mini coding competitions and an AI ethics panel — opportunities for students to learn new skills and collaborate with others.

A First for CHS

For CHS, this participation was an important first step in expanding student involvement in hackathons and hands-on computer science. Kelly took the initiative to introduce hackathon opportunities to Chatham High School, organizing two teams of students to compete — going beyond classroom coding into a new environment built around hands-on building and creativity. Through this effort, Kelly and her teammates opened the door for more CHS students to explore hackathons and tech-driven projects, helping build a stronger culture of innovation within the CHS community.

Team Projects

Photos