DAHacks 3.5 is a free, in-person, beginner-friendly hackathon happening on May 30, 2025, at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. This one-day event brings together over 120 high school and college students to build creative, innovative, and cutting-edge projects—whether it's software, hardware, or something in between.

You don’t need to follow a track to win—we welcome all ideas. But if you choose to submit to a track, you'll also be eligible for additional prizes. DAHacks 3.5 is designed to support beginners while still challenging experienced builders. No matter your skill level, you'll have everything you need to learn, create, and succeed.

• 7:00 AM – Doors Open
• 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM – Registration (QR Code Check-In)
• 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM – Opening Ceremony
• 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM – Hacking Starts & Breakfast
• 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM – Workshop #1: Hackathon 101 (Inky)
• 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM – Lunch
• 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM – Workshop #2: Jumpstart with Java (Dev Guild)
• 2:30 PM - 3:10 PM – Workshop #3: Algorithms & Data Structures (CPC)
• 6:00 PM – Hacking Ends / Final Submissions Due
• 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM – Judging Session
• 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM – Finalist Presentations
• 8:00 PM - 8:15 PM – Closing Ceremony & Prize Giving
• 8:15 PM - 9:00 PM – Clean Up
• 9:00 PM – Event Ends

Education
Build AI-powered tools that support students, tutors, or learning environments. This could include custom tutors, educational platforms, or creative learning tools.

Finance
Build AI or blockchain-based platforms that make financial services more accessible, understandable, or efficient. Think of tools that simplify budgeting, investing, or financial literacy.

• Open-ended format: build any project you want
• Bonus prizes for track-based submissions
• Free food, snacks, and beverages throughout the day
• Beginner workshops and mentor support
• Professional photo and video coverage
• Sponsored by Balsamiq, .xyz, Interview Cake, Give My Certificate, and more
• A welcoming, collaborative environment to learn and grow

Visit https://portal.deanzahacks.com to apply.
Registration closes on May 23, 2025. Capacity is limited, so apply early to secure your spot.

For more information, follow us on Instagram or join our Discord.

• MIT Gavel
  Gavel is an automated judging system used at events like HackMIT to rank projects. Video tutorial: https://youtube.com/shorts/-emizHTNJK0
• Creativity
  We want hackers to create a project that makes you say “wow” and tell all your friends about it. We're looking for projects that think so far outside the box that you begin to wonder why there was a box at all in the first place.
• Technical Complexity
  In only 9 hours, hackers manage to build projects with remarkably complex infrastructures built on excitingly advanced frameworks. We hope to see projects that are really running some beautiful code or hardware under the hood.
• Social Impact
  We're looking for hacks that are the blueprints for change that will impact future generations in humanity's most pressing areas of concern in the coming years.