📅 Dates

  • Applications close: September 30, 2025, 11:59 PM EST

  • Hackathon weekend: October 4 – 5, 2025

    • Day 1: In-person @ United College (UW)

    • Day 2: Online via Discord

  • Submission deadline: October 5, 2025, 2:30 PM EST

  • Winners announced: October 5, 2025, 7:00 PM EST

👥 Eligibility

  • Open to high school students (grades 9–12)

  • Teams of up to 4 members (or solo)

  • No experience required — beginners welcome

💻 Project and Submission Requirements

What to Build

  • An original project related to climate or sustainability

  • Can be software or hardware, in any language or platform

  • Must be created entirely during the hackathon

  • Should include a tech component (app, website, prototype, digital tool, etc.)

What to Submit

  • A Devpost project page with:

    • Project title and description

    • The problem your project addresses

    • Technologies or tools used

    • Screenshots or diagrams

    • A short demo video (3 – 4 minutes)

  • A link to your code repository (if applicable)

  • Credits for all team members

🏆 Prizes

  • 1st Place: Drone (NAFYRE N11), PCBWay Sponsored Prize, JAMHacks Acceptance

  • 2nd Place: Echo Dot (Newest Edition), Brilliant Subscription

  • 3rd Place: Rocket Book Notebook, Brilliant Subscription

Special Awards

🌟 Best Use of Chircuit (our mascot)
Awarded to the most creative project that finds a fun way to feature Chircuit, the Incubator Hacks mascot.

  • Prize: Duck Plushie + Cleanshot Licenses

🎤 Best Pitch
For the clearest, most persuasive presentation of a project’s idea, problem, and solution.

  • Prize: $25 Best Buy Gift Card + Cleanshot Licenses

🌊 Ocean Sustainability Prize
For the project that best addresses marine or aquatic environmental issues — “Whale Done, Squeaky Clean Sea, Most Likely to Be Friends with the Fishes.”

  • Prize: Solar Powerbank

🧑‍💻 Best Solo Hack
For a strong project built by a single hacker.

  • Prize: RGB Keyboard (Redragon K688)

🌱 Best Beginner Hack
For first-time hackers who show creativity, learning, and effort.

  • Prize: Arduino Starter Kit

💡 Most Innovative
For the boldest and most original idea.

  • Prize: NordVPN Subscription

⚖️ Judging Criteria and Winner Selection

Projects will be scored out of 25 points (5 per category):

  1. Innovation & Creativity ( /5 ) – Originality of idea and uniqueness of solution.

  2. Technical Execution ( /5 ) – Quality of code, use of advanced functions, minimal bugs.

  3. Social/Environmental Impact & Relevance ( /5 ) – Clear sustainability focus and real-world relevance.

  4. User Experience & Presentation ( /5 ) – Ease of use, design appeal, and clarity of presentation.

  5. Feasibility & Scalability ( /5 ) – Practical build with potential to expand.

Winners will be selected by a panel of mentors, sponsors, and community partners based on rubric scores.