The Journey of CodeLab: How University Hackathons Built a Community of Engaged Students

This paper presents the journey of CodeLab: a student-organized initiative from the University of S\~ao Paulo that has grown thanks to university hackathons. It summarizes patterns, challenges, and lessons learned over 15 competitions organized by the group from 2015 to 2020. By describing these experiences, this report aims to help CodeLab to resume its events after the COVID-19 pandemic, and foster similar initiatives around the world.