About the challenge
Stevens QuackHacks 2026 is the second iteration of our annual student-run hackathon! This year we invite creativity and innovation to our campus in the form of pursuing the following tracks:
- Mindfulness & Wellbeing
- Anti AI
- Accessibility
- Gaming
Get started
Sign up, non-binding, here: Form
Requirements
As long as your project follows the theme of the hackathon and is some sort of runnable code, build whatever you'd like. Be creative!
For submission:
Your submission should consist of four parts:
- Your github repo (add as the "try it out" link in "project details") when submitting
- Your project writeup (README.md) | submit as "story" in project details"
- A demo video of your project | submit as video demo link
- A small image gallery of your project (screenshots, graphs, other relevant pics)
Make sure your repo is publicly accessable before submitting. All submissions will be on devpost!
Your project writeup README should include:
- The name of your team
- Your team members
- A description of your project, what it is, what it does and what niche it fills / what problem it solves
- The technologies used to build it (Languages, frameworks, etc).
- Any other relevant info for your project (usage, screenshots, etc).
For your project demo video, please include:
- Your team name / members
- A brief description of your project (what it does)
- A demonstration of it's usage
Lastly, please make sure to license your code! You may chose which ever license you'd like, but please include one!
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Prizes
First Place
[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 Presage
Fitbit Inspire & Presage Perks
Presage is pioneering the Human Sensing Layer, enabling any application to understand a person’s real-time physical and emotional state. With Presage, you can leverage clinically-proven vital signs, movement, emotion, and/or focus tracking to build a project that gives the standard camera super powers.
Use any of the Presage SDKs to integrate capabilities like real-time heart rate, breathing rate, engagement levels, and facial expressions into your hack with just a few lines of code.
Immersive Gaming & Entertainment: Dynamically change game difficulty or story elements based on a player's excitement or focus levels.
Contactless Wellness & Fitness: Build a non-invasive app that monitors stress, recovery, or fitness performance.
Accessibility & Security: Utilize vital signs for effortless authentication, or to enhance accessibility.
Productivity: Design a tool that tracks focus or stress.
Build your next hack with Presage and show us the future of human-computer interaction! Win awesome prizes along for with the following perks from the Presage team:
Free refills for Presage Development credits to accelerate you through your next three months of building
30% off all Presage usage charges for your first year after going live
[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 Snowflake API
M5Stack Tab5
Play with industry-leading LLMs on a single account using the Snowflake APIs. Adding AI capabilities into your application can be as simple as a single CURL command to Snowflake’s REST API.
Build customized applications, RAG powered chat bots, or embed AI-powered features into your app in half the time with half the hassle. Get started for free with a special, student 120-day Snowflake trial and check out this repository for an example of the Snowflake REST API in action.
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
Judging Criteria
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Brief Judging Criteria:
1. Technology - functionality, readability, technical approach (25%) 2. Design - UI/UX, accessibility (25%) 3. Business - uniqueness, scalability, real-world adoption (25%) 4. Inspiration - innovative, passionate about cause (25%) 5. Presentation (25%
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
Invite others to compete
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