Starting a Club

Everything you need to know to start a Hack Club at your school, from registration to your first meeting.

Clubs Getting Started

Starting a Hack Club

Starting a Hack Club is free, and Hack Club HQ will support you every step of the way. Here’s how to do it.

Requirements

  • You must be a high school student (or younger)
  • You need a faculty advisor (a teacher or staff member)
  • Your school should allow student clubs

Step 1: Register

Go to hackclub.com/clubs and fill out the application. You’ll need:

  • Your name and email
  • Your school name and location
  • A brief description of your plans

Step 2: Get Approved

Hack Club HQ will review your application. Most are approved within a week. You’ll get:

  • Access to the club leaders Slack channel
  • A club starter kit with stickers and resources
  • A $50 grant for your first meeting

Step 3: Find Members

  • Put up posters around your school
  • Announce it in classes and the school newsletter
  • Ask friends and classmates

Step 4: Run Your First Meeting

See Running a Meeting for tips. For your first meeting:

  1. Introduce Hack Club (use the slides from the starter kit)
  2. Show a demo of something cool you built
  3. Have everyone do a quick workshops|workshop together
  4. Collect contact info for follow-up

Resources from HQ

Hack Club HQ provides:

  • Printed stickers and swag
  • Slack support from experienced leaders
  • Access to all Programs|HQ programs
  • Monthly grants for active clubs

Tips from Experienced Leaders

“The key is to make your first meeting fun. Show something impressive, then make it easy for beginners to make their first thing.” — Club leader, NYC

“Don’t try to teach everything at once. Pick one project, do it together, celebrate.” — Club leader, SF Bay Area