Dates

Clarkathon: Hack Your Hobby will take place from November 7–9, 2025.

Full Schedule:
Day 1 – November 7

 

  • 4–6 PM: Registration and Check-in

  • 6–6:30 PM: Opening Ceremony and Kick-off

  • 6:30–7 PM: Introduction of Theme, Rules & Expectations

  • 7–7:30 PM: Team Formation & Idea Brainstorming

  • 7:30–9 PM: Dinner

  • 9–10 PM: Teambonding Event – Cup Stacking

  • 10 PM–12 AM: Snacks & Refreshments

Day 2 – November 8

  • 12 AM–11 AM: Overnight Hacking Session 1

  • 11–12 PM: Brunch

  • 12–5 PM: Daily Hacking Session 1 + Snacks

  • 1–2 PM: Guest Speaker – Tim Hansen

  • 6–7 PM: Dinner

  • 7–8 PM: Teambonding Event – Paper Airplane Contest

  • 8 PM–12 AM: Daily Hacking Session 2 + Snacks & Refreshments

Day 3 – November 9

  • 12–10 AM: Overnight Hacking Session 2

  • 9–11 AM: Brunch

  • 10 AM: Project Submission Deadline

  • 10–12 PM: Presentation Preparation

  • 12–3 PM: Presentations & Judging

  • 3–4:30 PM: Closing Ceremony & Dinner

Eligibility

  • Open to all Clark University students and other universities around Worcester!
  • No prior hackathon experience required - beginners are welcome and encouraged to join as this is a great place to start.
  • Participants must register and check in during Day 1 to qualify for prizes.

Project and Submission Requirements

  • Projects must be started after the opening ceremony on November 7th
  • All submissions must be uploaded to Devpost by 10:00 AM on November 9.
  • Projects must relate to the theme "Hack Your Hobby" 

Prizes

1st Place: Beats Studio Pro Headphones

2nd Place: Fujifilm Istant Camera

3rd Place: JBL Flip 5 Speaker

Judging Criteria and Winner Selection

  1. Theme Relevance: How well does the project reflect the "Hack Your Hobby" theme? -  Judges will look for a clear connection between the project and the participants personal hobby, whetheer it enhances or reimagines that passion through a technological lens.
  2. User-Centered Design: Does the project demonstrate strong user-centered design principles? - Judges will evaluate how intuitive, clear and engaging the user experience is.
  3. Impact & Effectiveness: How meaningful is the project's impact on it's intended audience or hobby? - Judges will consider the practical benefits, reach and potential of the solution.
  4. Technical Implementation: How well is the project built from a technological standpoint? - Judges will look at functionality, code quality, and how effectively technologies were used.
  5. Presentation and Communication: How effectively does the team communicate their idea and demonstrate their solution? - Judges will assess the clarity, structure and engagement of the presentation or demo video.

Each project will be evaluated independently using the rubric above.

The total average score across all categories determines the final ranking

In case of a tie, judges will deliberate based on theme relevance and overall creativity.

Winners will be announced during the Closing Ceremony on November 9 (12:00 - 3:00PM)