Dates
The hackathon will be hosted in-person at Emerald High School, Dublin, CA on Feb 7th, 2026. All code must be written during the hackathon period, and at the venue.
Eligibility
Any middle and high schooler able to attend the event in-person may register for this event and submit a project.
Project and Submission Requirements
Students may submit any type of project, including websites, mobile apps, games, hardware simulations, or block-based coding projects, as long as the project meaningfully relates to the prompt or tracks announced on the day of the hackathon.
Judging Criteria and Winner Selection
Judges will determine the winners based on the standard judging criteria found at the bottom of the hackathon homepage, visible to all participants. They may also take additional notes on projects with special aspects that stand out, and factor that into the deliberation process when choosing the winners. Prizes will be awarded to the following winners:
- Best UI/UX (Awarded to the project with the most intuitive, polished, and user-centered design. This includes clarity of flow, visual consistency, accessibility, and overall ease of use.)
- Best AI (Awarded to the project that demonstrates the most effective, thoughtful, and impactful use of artificial intelligence. Judges consider correctness, relevance of AI usage, and how well it enhances the solution.)
- Most Innovative Project (Awarded to the project that introduces a novel idea, approach, or combination of technologies. This recognizes originality and creative thinking beyond standard or expected solutions.)
- Best Real-World Applicability (Awarded to the project with the strongest potential to be realistically implemented and adopted in the real world, considering feasibility, scalability, and user value.)
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes go to the teams who have excelled in all judging criteria and have stood out as the top projects to the judges.