Parthenon Travel Guide

Receiving an invitation

• Complete three technical projects (YSWS programs, personal projects)
• Complete 30 verified hours of coding
• You must be 18 or younger, a high school student, and identify as a girl or gender minority (non-binary person).

Requirements must be met by October 20th, 2025 in order to receive an invitation. Invites will be sent on a rolling basis until October 31st, 2025. Confirm your spot within two weeks of your invitation or by October 31st (including signed waiver).

Only the first 200 confirmed attendees will be able to attend. The shop remains open until October 31st to purchase items and travel grants.

Booking a flight before receiving an invitation is at your own risk. If you do not have an invitation or a signed waiver, you cannot attend and Hack Club cannot reimburse your travel.

Getting to the Venue

Attendees are expected to arrive at the venue on their own. A transportation guide will be shared with attendees with details on how to get there. Only attendees and HQ staff will be allowed inside Parthenon.

Booking Travel

Participants are expected to book their own travel. Limited travel grants are available. If you qualify, you must ship a project (demo link + GitHub repo) at Parthenon to receive reimbursement. Reimbursements will be processed no later than December 31st, 2025.

If you cannot book due to financial hardship, the Athena team can assist once you've completed the Athena Award and received your invitation.

You must be one of the 200 confirmed participants (invitation + signed waiver) to enter the venue.

If flying, we recommend using JFK or LaGuardia airports (not Newark) for better public transportation.

Arrival & Departure Times

Book travel to arrive in New York between 3:00pm and 8:00pm EST on November 14th, 2025. If arriving later, notify organizers at athena@hackclub.com.

International attendees may arrive November 13th or depart November 17th with prior approval. Early arrivals before 3pm without approval cannot be accommodated.

Travel Grants

Travel grants are for teens whose families cannot otherwise afford flights. You cannot apply if you live within 250 miles of NYC. Grants only cover the attendee.

How they work

• Anyone with an invitation may apply.
• Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
• If approved, purchase travel in advance. Reimbursement is processed after Parthenon via HCB.
• You must ship a project during Parthenon to receive reimbursement.
• Apply only if you truly need it.

Maximum grant amounts: $300 (North America), $600 (International).

Extra funds can be purchased with artifacts: 10 artifacts = $30 additional flight grant.

Travelling Internationally

Non-US citizens may need to apply for an ESTA or B1/B2 visa depending on origin country.

Applying for a Visa/ESTA

Apply early as wait times can be months. Expedite requests must go through your local US consulate. Hack Club provides invitation letters but cannot expedite visas.

Letter of Invitation

To request, email louisa@hackclub.com securely with:

• Full name (as on passport)
• Citizenship
• Date & place of birth
• Phone number
• Permanent address
• Your Slack ID

You may only request after reaching 50% progress towards the Athena Award.

Visa/ESTA Application Info

• Date of Arrival: November 14th, 2025 (or 13th if necessary)
• Arrival City: New York City
• Date of Departure: November 16th, 2025 (or 17th if necessary)
• Departure City: New York City
• Planned Location: New York City
• Address: 124 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003
• Contact Person: Christina Asquith
• Organization: The Hack Foundation (d.b.a. Hack Club)
• US Address: 8605 Santa Monica Blvd #86294, West Hollywood, CA, 90069
• Phone: (855) 625-4225
• Email: team@hackclub.com