innovate DAFITC Hackathon 2025
Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Time: 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: Renaissance Hotel, Montgomery, AL
Hosted by: TechMGM | AFCEA | SAF/CIO | University of Alabama Crimson Defense
Your Mission Starts Here.
Are you ready to outsmart, outpace, and out-hack the competition?
The 2025 innovateDAFITC Hackathon is back—and this year, it’s all about speed, strategy, and teamwork in an exciting Capture the Flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition! Open to high school students from Montgomery, Autauga, Elmore, and Macon counties, this event challenges you to think critically, solve problems under pressure, and dominate in a head-to-head tech showdown.
You don’t have to be a hacker to compete—just bring your brain and your team!
Students will form teams to solve puzzles, crack codes, and tackle cybersecurity-themed challenges across multiple difficulty levels. From logic problems to technical skills, you’ll learn as you go, earn points, and race to the top of the leaderboard.
What You’ll Get:
– Real-world cybersecurity challenges in a fun, team-based format
– Mentorship and support from military, university, and tech professionals
– Exposure to high-demand tech career paths in national security
– Lunch, prizes for the top team
– A front-row seat to how tech and defense go hand-in-hand
Why Join?
– Test your skills in a competitive, fast-paced environment
– Learn about careers in cybersecurity, defense, and tech
– Gain experience you can talk about on college and scholarship applications
ROTC Mentorship Session @ DAFITC 2025
As a part of the 2025 Department of the Air Force Information Technology and Cyberpower Conference (DAFITC), TechMGM and Montgomery TechLab hosted a dynamic ROTC Mentorship Session focused on leadership, career development, and service. This event brought together more than 100 cadets from AFROTC units at Tuskegee University, Auburn University at Montgomery, Troy University, and Alabama State University, along with JROTC students from local Montgomery high schools.
Cadets participated in a moderated panel with senior military leaders, followed by group breakout sessions with over 20 active and retired officers. Conversations surrounding careers in cyber, space, logistics, and beyond provided insights on those fields and reinforced the importance of mentorship and inclusive leadership.
The session created meaningful connections and offered cadets encouragement, real world advice, and a stronger sense of understanding as they prepare to serve as the next generation of Air and Space Force officers.
2025 InnovateDAFITC Hackathon
The 2025 InnovateDAFITC Hackathon brought together high school students from across the River Region for an exciting Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition. The event highlighted the incredible creativity, teamwork, and problem solving skills of the next generation tech leaders. After hours of challenges, three teams rose to the top. Team BTW-1 from Booker T. Washington High School secured first place with 18,150 points, followed by Team Hopper from Lamp High School in second place 17,300 points, and Tech Tech Boom From Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School in third place with 15,750 points. Congratulations to the winners and to every student who competed with passion and determination.
As special thank you goes to the University of Alabama Crimson Defense Cybersecurity Club, whose mentorship and leadership made the competition possible. Their guidance helped students build new skills, confidence, and inspiration for future careers in technology and defense. Looking ahead, the InnovateDAFITC Hackathon continues to grow each year and grow pathways into cybersecurity and defense careers. We are excited to see what these talented students will accomplish in the future.
2025 STEM Fest
On Thursday, August 28th, the Montgomery Multiplex at Crampton Bowl welcomed more than 1,200 fourth and fifth grade students from across the I-85 region for STEM Fest 2025. In partnership with Meta, Montgomery TechLab, TechMGM, and the I-85 Regional STEM Ecosystem, the event brought together students, parents, educators, and industry leaders for a day packed with creativity and STEM discovery.
Students rotated through more than 50 interactive STEM stations hosted by STEM Global Action, where they conducted science experiments, built and tested engineering designs, explored robotics and coding, explored mathematics, and connected with college mentors and STEM professionals. The atmosphere was electric as students embraced challenges and discovered how STEM connects to the world around them.
STEM Fest 2025 highlighted the importance of collaboration among schools, community leaders, and higher education institutions. The event provided students with access to exposure and resources, reinforcing the region’s commitment to developing future in STEM fields.
