Dates (May Change)

  • Registration Opened
  • Hackathon Starts: April 7, 2026
  • Hackathon Ends / Submission Deadline: May 12, 2026 at 9:00 PM PDT
  • Judging & Winner Announcement: 3–6 days after submissions close
  • All times are in PDT. Make sure your submissions are completed before the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Eligibility

  • Open to students high school and college level.
  • Teams can have 1–5 members. Solo submissions are allowed.
  • Participants from any location are welcome.

Prizes

1. Best Overall Project

  • Awarded to the project that best demonstrates creativity, technical skill, and real-world impact.

2. Best Beginner Project

  • Recognizes an outstanding project by participants new to AI or programming.
  • Encourages beginners to participate and feel confident.

3. Most Innovative Project

  • For projects with a unique idea, novel approach, or creative solution.

4. Most Impactful Project

  • Awarded to the project that has the potential to make the greatest social or community impact.

Judging criteria

1. Technical Implementation (30%)

  • How well does the project demonstrate AI or technical skills?
  • Proper use of technologies, tools, or APIs (including sponsor tools if applicable).
  • Quality of code, functionality, or prototype.

2. Creativity & Innovation (20%)

  • Originality of the idea or solution.
  • Innovative use of AI to solve a problem or address a need.
  • Unique approach to the chosen theme.

3. Real-World Impact (20%)

  • Does the project address a real-world problem or create positive social impact?
  • Potential for meaningful outcomes in the community or for target users.

4. Project Design & User Experience (15%)

  • Usability, interface, or design quality.
  • Clarity of workflow or interaction.
  • How intuitive and engaging the project is for end users.

5. Presentation & Documentation (15%)

  • Completeness and clarity of Devpost submission: title, description, screenshots, videos, and/or repository links.
  • Well-written problem statement, solution overview, and target users.
  • Social impact statement (optional but encouraged).