The Academy of Our Lady of Peace will host the 4th annual Hackathon on Saturday, October 14 from 8 am to 4:30 p.m. The hackathon is open to girls from all San Diego County Schools through 6th to 12th grade. A hackathon is a meeting of the minds to challenge current notions, problem-solve, create, and collaborate. Students identify specific problems in the world and formulate systematic and realistic solutions to them through researching, analyzing data, and communicating with a group of workers. This year's Hackathon is in partnership with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The theme is Animal Endangerment. The disruption of our natural world has caused countless species of animals to join the endangered species list. During the Hackathon, participants will work in teams to find solutions and sustainable ways to combat this loss of habitats using their critical analysis, creativity, collaboration, decision-making, and applications of STEM in entrepreneurship. This is a friendly competition, and the teams will be presenting their solutions to a panel of judges. Teams in first, second, and third place will receive prizes. OLP's Hackathon is the first all-girls hackathon in California. OLP’s Engineering Projects in Community Service Club (EPICS) host the event and encourage more girls to participate in STEM to help solve global issues using science, technology, engineering, and math. This is also the first year that the Hackathon has expanded to include 6th and 7th graders to work alongside the 8th-12th graders. Research data shows that women continue to be underrepresented in the STEM fields. OLP is committed to providing a rich STEM program experience for students. At the Hackathon, students not only gain insight in various areas of STEM, business, and world affairs but can also hone critical thinking and communication skills. The event allows students to connect and work with other young women who come from diverse backgrounds and interests. It also gives them the chance to better educate people and bring awareness to issues. Here, young women can practice skills without worrying about poor grades or failure. To learn more about the event and register, visit https://www.aolp.org/calendar/2023-10-14-00-00/olp-hackathon About The Academy of Our Lady of Peace Located in San Diego, California, the Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP) is a rigorous college preparatory school with an unparalleled leadership program and a variety of co-curricular activities. For over 137 years, OLP has educated young women in the spirit of excellence and innovation that characterizes the founding Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. OLP has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education and 100 percent of its graduates have continued to pursue higher education. Students are encouraged to become academic, social, and spiritual leaders, as they are empowered with the skills and confidence needed to compete at whatever their career aspirations may be. OLP ensures that its graduates have a worldwide perspective immersed in social justice issues, which enables them to become global leaders committed to changing the world. r more information about OLP, please visit http://www.aolp.org/.