HackUNCP 2026 is a 24-hour AI hackathon hosted by AI@UNCP at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke on February 21-22, 2026.
Students from universities and colleges nationwide come together to build AI-powered solutions across four focused tracks: AI for Education, AI for Healthcare, AI for Sustainability, and AI for Cybersecurity.
This year, HackUNCP welcomes both undergraduate and graduate students for the first time, creating a collaborative environment where different perspectives drive breakthrough solutions.
All meals, snacks, and event swag are provided. Participants receive mentorship from industry professionals and attend hands-on workshops.
All accepted participants must register on this Devpost page to be eligible for prizes and to submit your project.
Requirements
What to Build
Build innovative AI solutions that address real-world challenges in one of our four focused tracks: AI for Education, AI for Healthcare, AI for Sustainability, or AI for Cybersecurity. Your project must incorporate artificial intelligence components and demonstrate practical impact in your selected track.
Teams can consist of 1-4 members. All team members must be registered on this Devpost page.
What to Submit
1. Pre-Submission Form - Link shared during the event, due Saturday 11:59 PM EST.
2. Devpost Project - One team member submits the project and adds all teammates.
3. Public GitHub Repository - Created during February 21-22, 2026 with your project code.
4. Demo Video - Maximum 2 minutes showcasing your solution.
5. Live Presentation - Present your project during judging sessions.
6. Track Selection - Select your AI track (Education/Healthcare/Sustainability/Cybersecurity).
Final submission deadline: Sunday, February 22nd at 11:00 AM EST. No late submissions.
Prizes
1st Place Overall
Each member of the winning team will receive: Apple 11-inch iPad A16 chip with Wi-Fi, 256GB, Silver + 2-year CodeCrafters VIP membership. Up to 4 per team.
2nd Place Overall
Each member of the winning team will receive: Apple 11-inch iPad A16 chip with Wi-Fi, 128GB, Blue + 1-year CodeCrafters VIP membership. Up to 4 per team.
3rd Place Overall
Each member of the winning team will receive: Apple AirPods Pro 3, Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds with Heart Rate Sensing Feature, White + 6-month CodeCrafters VIP membership. Up to 4 per team.
AI for Healthcare Track Winner
Each member of the winning team will receive: Lenovo Tab One 8.7" HD Tablet, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, Luna Grey. Up to 4 per team.
AI for Education Track Winner
Each member of the winning team will receive: Lenovo Tab One 8.7" HD Tablet, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, Luna Grey. Up to 4 per team.
AI for Sustainability Track Winner
Each member of the winning team will receive: Lenovo Tab One 8.7" HD Tablet, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, Luna Grey. Up to 4 per team.
AI for Cybersecurity Track Winner
Each member of the winning team will receive: Lenovo Tab One 8.7" HD Tablet, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC, Luna Grey. Up to 4 per team.
[MLH] Best Use of Gemini API
Google Swag Kits
It’s time to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI using Google Gemini. Check out the Gemini API to build AI-powered apps that make your friends say WHOA. So, what can Gemini do for your hackathon project?
Understand language like a human and build a chatbot that gives personalized advice
Analyze info like a supercomputer and create an app that summarizes complex research papers
Generate creative content like code, scripts, music, and more
Think of the possibilities… what will you build with the Google Gemini API this weekend?
[MLH] Best Use of ElevenLabs
Wireless Earbuds
Deploy natural, human-sounding audio with ElevenLabs. Create realistic, dynamic, and emotionally expressive voices for any project, from interactive AI companions to narrated stories and voice-enabled apps. ElevenLabs will empower you to build rich, immersive experiences without the need for actors or complex audio production, using simply the power of AI.
Integrate fully autonomous audio experiences into your hack with ElevenLabs and give your project a voice, along with giving your team the chance to win some wireless earbuds!
[MLH] Best Use of Solana
Ledger Nano S Plus
The world of development is evolving fast and Solana is leading the charge with a network built to handle all of your infrastructure needs. Forget high fees and slow confirmations, it’s time to build applications that are fast, efficient, and scalable.
Harness Solana's core advantages like blazing fast execution and near-zero transaction costs to make your hackathon ideas become real world projects. With Solana, the possibilities are endless.
Create a game, social app, or consumer product that relies on instant, high-frequency transactions.
Design a sophisticated trading, lending, or decentralized exchange (DEX).
Build a prototype for supply chain, identity, or payments that can handle massive, real-world volume.
Show us how you can innovate with Solana for a chance to win some cool prizes for you and each member of your team!
[MLH] Best Use of DigitalOcean
Retro Wireless Mouse
DigitalOcean offers a reliable and easy-to-use cloud platform for every stage of your project. Leverage core services like Droplets, Managed Databases, and App Platform to build, deploy, and scale your application effortlessly. Building with AI? DigitalOcean Gradient™ AI enables you to build, train, and deploy machine learning models, including access to GPU infrastructure and serverless inference!
Sign up for DigitalOcean today and get $200 worth of free credits that you can use towards building your next great hack. Build with DigitalOcean's robust cloud infrastructure for a chance to win some great prizes for you and each of your teammates!
[MLH] Best Use of MongoDB Atlas
M5Stack IoT Kit
MongoDB Atlas takes the leading modern database and makes it accessible in the cloud! Get started with a $50 credit for students or sign up for the Atlas free forever tier (no credit card required). Along with a suite of services and functionalities, you'll have everything you need to manage all of your data, and you can get a headstart with free resources from MongoDB University! Build a hack using MongoDB Atlas for a chance to win a M5Stack IoT Kit for you and each member of your team.
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Rakesh Koul
Capital One
Yesha Patel
IBM
Xin Liu
UNC Pembroke
Pankaj Arora
Deloitte Consulting
Ramesh Jitta
Capital One
Lalit Agarwal
Capital One
Selvarajah Mohanarajah
UNC Pembroke
Hemang Upadhyay
LG Electronics USA
William Thomas
UNC Pembroke
Chunchao Lane
UNC Pembroke
Haitao Zhao
UNC Pembroke
Ravindra Gautam
Northern Trust
Naveen Kumar Sura
Costar Group
Parikshit Sahagal
Costar Group
Todd White
UNC Pembroke
Rajiv Dahiya
UNC Pembroke
Prashanth BusiReddyGari
UNC Pembroke
Judging Criteria
-
Creativity & Innovation (25%)
How original is the idea and the approach to solving the problem? -
AI Integration (25%)
How meaningfully is AI used in the solution? Is it central to the project or just added on? -
Functionality & Demo (25%)
Does the project work? Was it clearly demonstrated? -
Relevance & Impact (25%)
How well does the project address a real-world problem in its selected track?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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