162 wiersze
7.7 KiB
HTML
162 wiersze
7.7 KiB
HTML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<html newsdate="2025-06-11">
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<head>
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<title>"YH4F provides teenagers with a platform to express their ideas and develop skills that are crucial for their future careers"</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<h1>"YH4F provides teenagers with a platform to express their ideas and develop skills that are crucial for their future careers"</h1>
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<p>In just a few days, the 2025 Youth Hacking 4 Freedom programming period will come to an end, marking the start of the evaluation phase.
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Among the jury members is Alexios Zavras, who has been involved since the very first edition of the contest. Let us hear his insights on the
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YH4F competition and what motivates him to be part of the jury.</p>
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<figure class="float-right">
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/small/94bca60fb1fc74914da71a3eef92e93a.jpg" alt="Picture of Alexios Zavras" />
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</figure>
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<p>After six months of programming, Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) participants are submitting their projects at the end of June, which
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will be evaluated by our experts. <a href="/activities/yh4f/jury">Our jury</a> is composed by 16 professionals with a different focus on Free Software. With their help, we cover
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a wide range of technical aspects and ensure that an expert is always available to evaluate a participant's project. One of our experts is
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Alexios Zavras, who has been involved with Free Software since 1983 and is an advocate for software freedom.</p>
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<div>
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<blockquote>
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Based on the jury’s scores, the six winning projects receive a cash
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prize ranging from €1,024 to €4,096. The winners are invited (with all
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expenses covered) to the award ceremony held over a weekend in October
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in Brussels.
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</blockquote>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: Thank you very much Alexios for taking the time and talking with us. What inspired you to become a
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jury member for this competition?</p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: I was inspired to become a jury member for YH4F because I believe in empowering young people to explore their creativity
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and technical skills. The opportunity to support and encourage the next generation of programmers, while promoting the values of Free Software, aligns
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with my passion for technology and education.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: What do you enjoy most about being involved in this
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kind of event?</p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: I enjoy witnessing the innovative ideas and solutions that young participants bring to the table. It is incredibly
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rewarding to see their enthusiasm and dedication, and to be part of a community that fosters growth and learning. The projects submitted address
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actual problems that often surprise me. </p>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: If you had to choose only one, what would be your favorite thing about this competition? </p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: My favorite thing about the competition is the sense of community and collaboration it fosters among participants.
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It is inspiring to see young programmers working together, sharing knowledge, and supporting each other in their projects. I am not only talking
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about teams working together and submitting a project, but also the interaction when these young creators meet each other for the first time in the award ceremony.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: What skills do you think are most important for participants to take part in this competition? </p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios:</strong> Key skills include problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. Technical proficiency is important, but the ability to think critically
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and work effectively with others is crucial for developing impactful projects. In the case of team work, coordination and project management skills are also crucial.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: Have you seen any common mistakes or challenges among
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the participants?</p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: A common challenge is underestimating the importance of documentation and user experience. Participants sometimes focus heavily
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on technical aspects but overlook how their software will be used and understood by others.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: What impresses you the most in a project?</p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: I am most impressed by projects that demonstrate a clear understanding of user needs and provide innovative solutions
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to real-world problems. When participants show empathy and insight into their target audience, it elevates their work significantly. The best projects
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are the ones where the creators are also users, since they build something "to scratch their own itch."</p>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: Why do you think this programming competitions is
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important for teenagers?</p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: This competition is important because it provides teenagers with a platform to express their ideas and develop skills that
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are crucial for their future careers. It encourages them to think critically, maybe work collaboratively, and understand the importance of sharing
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knowledge through Free Software</p>
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</div>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/2d6b8d83d7c2d5c809085ad4c76d0090.png" alt="YH4F main illustration of a hackerspace wtih the 3 YH4F figures" />
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</figure>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: What advice would you give to young programmers who
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want to improve their skills?</p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: I would advise young programmers to continuously challenge themselves with new projects, seek feedback from peers and mentors,
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and stay curious about emerging technologies. Engaging with the community and contributing to Free Software projects can also provide valuable learning experiences.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="question">
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<p><strong>FSFE</strong>: In these last editions, you have been checking several YH4F projects.
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If you would have to give advice to the current participants, what would it be? </p>
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</div>
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<div class="answer">
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<p><strong>Alexios</strong>: My advice to current participants would be to focus on understanding the needs of their users and to prioritize
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clear communication and documentation. Additionally, do not be afraid to iterate and refine your ideas, embrace feedback as a tool for growth
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and improvement. It is rarely the case when a first idea is so well-formed that it has to remain unchanged during the development process.</p>
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</div>
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<p>We can run YH4F 2025 thanks to our supporters and sponsors Reinhard Wiesemann, Proxmox, Open Source Security Foundation and openSUSE.
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Visit the <a href="/activities/yh4f/">YH4F website</a> for more details about the competitoin, the sponsors
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and the previous winners.</p>
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<banner><module id="banner-become-supporter" /></banner>
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</body>
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<sidebar promo="our-work">
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<cite><a href="https://yh4f.org/register"><strong>Registration</strong></a> for the 2026 edition will open on the 1st of July at 9:30 (Berlin time)
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This competition is running thanks to our donors and sponsors. Please consider supporting our work</cite>
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</sidebar>
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<tags>
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<tag key="news">News</tag>
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<tag key="front-page"/>
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<tag key="interview">Interview</tag>
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<tag key="yh4f">Youth Hacking 4 Freedom</tag>
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<tag key="yh4f-project">Youth Hacking 4 Freedom - Project</tag>
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</tags>
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<discussion href="https://mastodon.social/deck/@fsfe/114664300393907483"/>
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<image url="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/2d6b8d83d7c2d5c809085ad4c76d0090.png" alt="YH4F main illustration of a hackerspace wtih the 3 YH4F figures"/>
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</html>
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