Don't just code...HACK!

We are a group of educators, technology developers, artists, and video game enthusiasts that were brought together by a common interest: Hacking. Not the kind popularized by fictional media narratives or inflammatory news culture — but the Hacking that is done by everyday people. It is a teacher using spice racks to organize school supplies for kids, a mother arranging a carpool group to get to work, a grandfather finding out what art stores accept double coupons, and a student building a custom controller for a video game so her brother with restricted mobility can play too. We are firm believers that, at its core, Hacking is about critical thinking, innovation, and leadership. Hackers look at the world around them and choose to make technology work for all people. Through our values-based technology classes, Hack World hopes to promote the idea that anyone can become a Hacker and that digital literacy must include honesty, accessibility, creativity, and kindness to be an enriching tool for all.

Our HACK values in every class

Without guidance, hacking can be used improperly, like any tool. It is common for most people to have experienced phished passwords, cracked email accounts, ransomware—all examples of malicious and devious infringement. These acts do not align with the positive values of ‘white hat hacking’. When taught as a tool for good, students learn that technology isn’t only meant to be used as a consumer or made for an employer. Technology is meant to enrich the lives of everyone. With hacking as our tool, we can ensure that the digital world around us is promoting that enrichment universally. To advocate for hacking as a tool for good, we have created a set values, expressed through what we call our HACKRONYM. These values are:

HONESTY
ACCESSIBILITY
CREATIVITY
KINDNESS

Every act of hacking is partnered with a reflection of how our actions meet these values. It is through this reflection that we hold ourselves accountable to our friends and our communities. We believe that technology at large should adhere to this philosophy, and where we find that it does not, we use hacking as a way to help realign it to more closely match those values. We are never misleading about what our intentions are and we do not hack something in secret; we are honest about our hacks. In addition to examining how we use technology, we evaluate the world around us and consider how others would use the same tools; we want to make things accessible to everyone. We find unique and new ways to improve technology. Plagiarizing and forging does not achieve this; our hacks must be creative in thought and action. And finally, we must be generous with the things we have learned. We do not act maliciously or do harm; we have the fundamental responsibility to show our community kindness by using our hacks to enrich the lives of others.

It is with these values that we hope to promote digital citizens that are considerate and passionate about improving the world for all people.