Welcome to BYTE Hacks!

BYTE Hacks is The City College of New York's first-ever hackathon! Join us for a 2-day event on September 26th and 27th as we come together to build, learn, and innovate.

This is more than just a competition; it's a chance to build the computer science community at CCNY. We were inspired by the vibrant energy at other universities and are bringing that same spirit right here to CCNY.

While the event takes place over 24 hours, you're not allowed to stay on campus overnight. No worries, though! We encourage you to keep the momentum going by hacking from home and collaborating with your team on Discord.

Your projects can fall into one of our four tracks: Innovation & Creative Expression, Planetary Protection, Transformative Learning, and Strengthen Society.

BYTE Hacks is made possible thanks to our incredible sponsors: Google, Red Bull, and Vercel. We're so grateful for their support in making this event a reality.

Requirements

Your deadline for all submissions is 1 PM EST on Saturday, September 27th.

If any part of your project was created before this event, you're required to inform the judging panel. They will only evaluate the code written during the hackathon. If we suspect large portions of your code has been recycled from previous projects we will not judge your project.

Teams must also submit the project name and group members to the team submission form, or else your project will not be judged.

Each project will be expected to have a 2 minute demo video.

Finally, please note that you must attend the closing ceremony to be eligible to receive a prize.

The closing ceremony will occur September 27th (4:30pm - 5:30pm)

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$1,000+ in prizes

+ other prizes

Best Software for Tech Startups

$1,000 in cash

1 winner

$1,000 Cash Prize

Imagine you want to start your own tech company. How will you generate and test ideas? How will you efficiently build in a way that's responsive to emerging trends, user feedback, stakeholder input, regulatory changes, a rapidly evolving tech landscape, and so on? The prize will go to the team whose creation best supports some key part of a tech startup's journey, one you might actually use in the future?

Best Use of Google Products Overall | 1st Place

1 winner

4 Vercel hats + NuPhy Keyboards

Awarded to the team that demonstrates exceptional innovation, technical execution, and overall impact. This prize recognizes projects that push the boundaries of what's possible and deliver meaningful solutions to real-world problems.

Each teammate will receive a NuPhy keyboard.

Best Use of Google Products Overall | 2nd Place

1 winner

2 Vercel hats + HyperX Microphones

Second place recognition for outstanding projects that showcase strong technical skills, creativity, and practical application across multiple evaluation criteria.

Each teammate will receive a HyperX Quadcast 2 Microphone.

Best Use of Google Products Overall | 3rd Place

1 winner

2 Vercel hats + AirPods 4s

Third place recognition celebrating projects that demonstrate solid execution, innovation, and potential for real-world impact.

Each teammate will receive a pair of Airpods 4s.

Innovation & Creative Expression

1 winner

1 Vercel hat + JBL Speakers

Recognizes the most original and imaginative approach to problem-solving. This category rewards projects that showcase unique thinking, unconventional solutions, and creative implementation of technology.

Each teammate will receive a JBL Speaker.

Planetary Protection

1 winner

1 Vercel hat + LARQ Water Bottles

Awarded to projects that address environmental challenges, sustainability, climate change, or other planetary concerns. This prize celebrates solutions that contribute to protecting our planet and creating a more sustainable future.

Each teammate will receive a LARQ Water Bottle.

Transformative Learning

1 winner

1 Vercel hat + Arduino Kits

Honors projects that reimagine education, skill development, or knowledge sharing. Whether through AI tutoring systems, interactive learning platforms, or innovative educational tools, this category celebrates solutions that enhance how we learn and grow.

Each teammate will receive an Arduino starter kit.

Strengthen Society

1 winner

1 Vercel hat + Fitbits

Recognizes projects that address social challenges, improve community welfare, enhance accessibility, or promote equity and inclusion. This prize celebrates technology that strengthens the fabric of our communities and society.

Each teammate will receive a Fitbit Inspire 3.

Judges

Bakary Diarrassouba
Staff Technical Program Manager @ Google Labs

Shannon White
Senior UX Researcher @ Google

Jerrely Vizueta
Software Engineer @ Capital One

Derling Diaz
Software Engineer @ Spotify

Saanavi Goyal
Prev SWE @ Deutsche Bank, ML Engineer @ Samsung

Baljinder Hothi
Researcher @ UW RAIVN Lab, ex Software Developer @ Amazon

Abrar Habib
Software Engineer @ Shopify

Kevin Li
Software Engineer @ nuArch

Jawad Kabir
Prev Software Engineer @ IPG Health

Jyoti Shah
Director of App Development @ ADP

Ishmam Fardin
Software Developer @ Amazon

Judging Criteria

Leverages Google AI Products? ⭐
Since Google is one of our sponsors we encourage participants to use their latest AI/ML technologies in new, and more importantly, meaningful ways.
How Creative/Novel?
Does the project show originality and innovation in its track? A higher score is given to projects that introduce a unique idea or a fresh approach to solving a problem, setting them apart from existing solutions.
Real-world Impact?
Does the project have potential to create a tangible, positive effect? How well does the project addresses a genuine need, and is it a scalable solution?
UI, Functionality (useable without bugs)?
User experience and technical stability. We're scoring the project on its intuitive design and ease of use, as well as its reliability, ensuring that the interface is seamless and the application functions as intended without errors.
Leverages AI/ML Technologies?
A higher score is awarded for the strategic and meaningful use of these of AI/ML technologies to enhance core functionality and providing smart features that would be difficult to achieve otherwise.
Presentation & Delivery
Judges will also be grading clarity, organization, and effectiveness of the project's presentation. Scoring the ability of the presenter to explain the project, technical details behind it, and its impact in a compelling and professional manner.
Demo
Finally, Judges will score based on the quality of the live demonstration. They'll be expecting a demo that clearly showcases the project's key features and functionality, proving its usability and effectiveness in real time.