Hk Maker Lab

Hk Maker Lab is a free summer engineering design program run by the nonprofit HYPOTHEkids for New York City public and charter high school students from low-resource backgrounds. The 2026 program ran for five weeks, from July 6 to August 7, 2026. It has two phases. In the first three weeks, students take a course taught by Columbia Engineering faculty through Columbia's Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers (SHAPE), such as Biomedical Engineering or Innovation and Design. In the last two weeks, all participants join a Hackathon for Health Equity, working in groups to build digital media such as an app or website that addresses a health disparity. Students receive the SHAPE course at no cost. Graduates can enroll in NY Bioforce the following year, which includes a paid summer internship.

Open to students currently in 10th or 11th grade (graduating in 2027 or 2028) who attend a NYC public or charter high school and can show educational or economic disadvantage: either their school has an Economic Need Index of 80% or higher, or their family has income that qualifies for aid such as Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, or lives in public housing. Applicants first submit a short Hk Maker Lab screening application, then interview with the Hk team, and accepted students complete the Columbia SHAPE application.