About the challenge

Syracuse University's 24-hour in-person hackathon October 25th - October 26th is open to all students!

Develop apps, websites, tools, games, or multimedia either solo or in teams. Present your project on Sunday for a shot at winning!


Schedule

Saturday, October 25

  • 8:30 AM — Doors Open

  • 9:00 AM — Breakfast

  • 11:45 AM — Opening Ceremony

  • 12:00 PM — Hacking Begins

  • 12:00 PM — Vibe Coding Workshop (LSB 105, hosted by CUSEAI)

  • 6:00 PM — Dinner

  • 9:00 PM — Monsters After Dinner

  • 11:00 PM — Movie Night

Sunday, October 26

  • 8:00 AM — Morning Snacks

  • 12:30 PM — Hacking Ends

  • 1:00 PM — Project Presentations Begin

  • 3:30 PM — Judging Ends

  • 4:00 PM — Closing Ceremony

  • 4:15 PM — Prize Giveaway

  • 4:30 PM — Event Wrap-Up

Requirements

Competition Tracks

Track 1: Social Impact

"Code for Good"

Projects that address real-world problems and create positive change in communities. This includes solutions for public health, emergency response, community safety, education, healthcare access, environmental sustainability, accessibility, social justice, or community building.

 

Track 2: Technical Innovation

"Pushing the Boundaries"

Projects that showcase cutting-edge technology, complex technical implementation, or novel use of emerging tools. This rewards teams that take technical risks and demonstrate advanced engineering skills while still aligning with our "Code For Good" mission.

 

Track 3: Business/Entrepreneurial Potential

"Ready to Launch"

Projects with clear market viability, strong business models, and real potential to become startups or sustainable products. This celebrates teams that not only build something technically sound but also think about users, scalability, and long-term impact.


Submission Guidelines:

All submissions will automatically be considered for "Best Overall," "Best Use of AI," and "Best Design" awards. To be considered for specific tracks (Social Impact, Technical Innovation, or Business/Entrepreneurial Potential), you must select them upon submission.

How to submit: Submit your code on Devpost, and have a presentation ready for the judging process! 

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

4 non-cash prizes
Air Fryer
1 winner

Full airfryer

LEGO Flower Sets
2 winners

Full lego set

10000mAh powerbank
1 winner

One Energizer Powerbank

Apple Air tag
1 winner

One Apple Air Tag

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Kristopher Micinski

Kristopher Micinski
Assistant Professor at Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science

Jeff Passetti

Jeff Passetti
Lead Artistic Designer

Aryan Apte

Aryan Apte
Workshop Lead at CuseHacks, and AI researcher at OSPO-SU

Alex Levy

Alex Levy
UX Designer at IBM

Judging Criteria

  • Technical Implementation
    How technically challenging and well-executed is the project? Does it demonstrate strong programming skills and function properly?
  • Innovation & Creativity
    Is this an original idea or novel approach? Does it solve a real problem in an interesting way?
  • Design & User Experience
    Is the project intuitive, polished, and easy to use? Does it have good visual design and user flow?
  • Impact & Usefulness
    How valuable is this project? Does it align with your tracks theme? Would people actually use it?
  • Completeness & Polish
    How finished does the project feel? Is it demo-ready with core features complete? Is it a deployable product?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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