About the Challenge
Ready to sharpen your coding skills while having fun and winning lots of prizes? Recess Hacks is excited to present our 5th iteration hackathon! This year, we are having a 36-hour online event open to any current high school student or recently graduate of 2025. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced coder, you shouldn't miss this chance for an impactful experience where you can learn new skills, meet like-minded peers, and build fun projects in a supportive environment!
Join the Discord Server here: https://discord.gg/RrCY76mefj
Why Participate in Recess Hacks?
A hackathon poses a valuable opportunity to experience the following:
- Learn and Grow: Gain hands-on experience and develop your coding skills with the support of mentors and workshops.
- Innovate and Create: Bring your ideas to life by building unique projects, from apps to games, that solve real-world problems.
- Collaborate: Connect and work with like-minded students
- Win Prizes: Compete for prizes and earn recognition for your hard work & creativity
- Have Fun :)
Get started
To join Recess Hacks 5.0, follow these 2 simple steps:
- Register on Devpost: Sign up on our Devpost page and register on our website to officially enter the hackathon.
- Join Discord: Once registered, join our Discord server where you can connect with other participants, find team members, and get updates about the event
Join us at Recess Hacks 5.0 today!
Requirements
What to Build
Our hackathon's official theme will be revealed at the opening ceremony!
Participants are encouraged to build projects that address real-world problems or innovative ideas across various technology fields concerning the theme. This can include web apps, games, or any other form of technology that addresses the main topic.
What to Submit
Submit your project on Devpost before the deadline at 10:30 PM (EDT) on August 24th, 2025. Please provide the following in your submission:
- Project Description / demo video: Explain how your project works and highlight its key features. We prefer this to be in a short video form, where you demonstrate your project (max 5 minutes).
- Source Code: A link to your project's source code repository (e.g., GitHub). Ensure that your code is well-documented and includes instructions on how to set up and run your project.
Prizes
First Place
Total $5000+ [equivalent] in value
4 * 1-year .xyz domains
4 * cleanshot x licenses
2-year VIP CodeCrafters membership for each member
4 * 1-year Nord VPN subscriptions with 1GB of free data
4 * 1-month Interview Cake subscription
4 * 1-year premium tier subscription to Nodalli
1 * 3 month access to nexos.ai and 200 eur limit
Second Place
Total $3300+ [equivalent] in value
4 * 1-year .xyz domains
4 * cleanshot x licenses
1-year VIP CodeCrafters membership for each member
4 * 1-month Interview Cake subscription
4 * 1-year premium tier subscription to Nodalli
1 * 3 month access to nexos.ai and 200 eur limit
Third Place
Total $2000 + [equivelant] in value
4 * 1-year .xyz domains
4 * cleanshot x licenses
6-months VIP CodeCrafters membership for each member
4 * 1-month Interview Cake subscription
4 * 1-year premium tier subscription to Nodalli
Best Beginner Project
Total $1550 [equivalent] in value
At least 2/3 of your team needs to be first time hackers to be eligible!
4 * Sublime Text License
4 * Art of Problem Solving Coupons ($25 each)
3 * 3 month access to nexos.ai and 200 eur limit
Best Solo Hack
Total $550 [equivalent] in value
1 * Sublime Text License
1 * 1-year premium tier subscription to Nodalli
Sticker Giant Coupon code for 30% off for the next purchase
1 * 3 month access to nexos.ai and 200 eur limit
Participant award
$50 Leading Aces Academy Voucher each
Raffle
1 year Vue School license
1 month Vue School license
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Raj Bhowmik
Senior Machine Learning Engineer @ Cognizant
Pratik Nalage
Senior Software Engineer @ NVDIA
Ashwini Joshi
AI/ML Engineer @ Warner Bros Discovery
Wenyu Chen
MSCS @ Georgia Tech
Naveen Kolli
Vice President and Enterprise Business Intelligence Lead @ Bank of America
Kingston Kuan
Software Engineer @ Jane Street
Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa
Founder @ Attensira
Judging Criteria
-
Originality
The project’s originality is judged by uniqueness and creativity in addressing challenges. It should bring something new and distinct to the field, offering innovative ideas and a fresh perspective that sets it apart from existing solutions. -
Technical Complexity
Technical complexity looks at the appropriateness and sophistication of the project’s technology. The solution should be advanced, robust, and well-suited to the educational problem, considering edge cases and ensuring reliability in diverse scenarios. -
Sustainability
How sustainable is the project in terms of maintenance and scalability? Assess whether the project is designed for long-term use, including aspects like ease of updates, support, and the ability to handle increased demand or expansion over time. -
Relevance
How well the project addresses the given theme. -
Engagement
How interactive is the project for its users? Assess whether the project effectively captures and maintains the interest of its audience. A highly engaging project will involve interactive elements that promote active participation and sustained use.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
Tell your friends
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.