An idea
Something that bugs you, something you think is funny, or something you just wish existed.
VNU Hack, Connect the Dots, high school hackathon at Tudor Vianu National College of Computer Science
October 4–5, 2026
Where ideas
actually happen
A hackathon is kind of like a summer camp, except instead of hiking you build stuff. You get 24 hours, a team and a problem to solve, and the thing you present at the end didn't exist the day before
A team
3 to 6 people: your friends, students from other schools, or people you meet right there.
24 hours
Noon to noon. Sounds short, and honestly it is, but at the school you've got mentors around, and in the evening you can keep going from home.
Something real
A website, an app, a prototype, a campaign, whatever, as long as you can show it to someone at the end.
No, you don't need to know how to code
The best teams are a weird mix of people. You're in if…
- You've got an idea
- You're good at design
- You like organizing things
- You're good with words
- You're into the business side
- You like working with people
- You just want to see what it's like
- You came for the pizza
and yes, “I came for the pizza” is a perfectly good reason :)
When & Where
Save the date
4–5Oct
Exactly 24 hours: you start at noon on day one and hand in at noon on day two. We're at the school until 6pm, and overnight you work from wherever you like. The full schedule is in the Schedule section.
October 5 is Education Day in Romania, so there's no school anyway
Find us at
Strada Ion Mincu 10
Bucharest
right in the Tudor Vianu schoolyard
What you need to know
The stuff everyone keeps asking us, so it's all right here
3 to 6 people
Minimum 3, maximum 6, that's it. Not 2, because that's not a team, and not 7, because you won't fit around one table.
From any school
Nobody checks if you go to the same school. It's actually more fun with new people, and you'll leave with a few extra friends.
It's FREE
Yep, you read that right. No fees, no hidden costs, no “yes, but”. The only thing you spend is 24 hours.
Food's on us
You get a hot meal at 3pm on day one, plus snacks and drinks while you're at the school.
What to bring
No need to stuff your backpack with random things: a laptop, and don't forget the charger (a good mood helps too) :)
The official rules
Teams, judging, what's allowed and what isn't over the two days. Every rule of the game in one 7-page PDF (in Romanian).
Open the rulesShort version: you bring the idea and the crew, we handle the rest
24 hours, one project
We're at the school until 6pm, then you head home (or wherever you like) and keep working, and we meet again in the morning. Times are approximate
DAY 1Sunday · Oct 4
- Doors open: check-in and safety briefing
- Our guests take the stage
- How the hackathon works: format, rules, judging, questions
- You get the theme and the clock starts
- Hot meal
- Checkpoint: we stop by every team
- The school closes, you keep working from wherever you like
From 6pm to 9am you're not at the school, but the clock keeps running.
DAY 2Monday · Oct 5
- Back at your stands
- Last hour: no starting anything new
- Code freeze
- Hand in your project, and round 1 begins: judging at the stands, with a live demo
- The final: finalists pitch on stage in the auditorium, plus a public vote
- Results and prizes
During judging, your whole team stays at the stand.
The people behind it
The teachers, partners and students who run VNU Hack. You probably know a few of them from the hallways
Jugaru Ana
Head of Design
Anghel Claudia
Principal, CNITV
Drăgan Elena
Coordinating teacher
Vinț Corina-Elena
Coordinating teacher
Ferșeta Alina
StartEvo Association
Questions. Answers
What everyone asks before hitting the big red button
No. Seriously, no. You need an idea and the will to work on it, that's it. The teams that do well always have a mix: someone who draws, someone who can talk in front of a crowd, someone who keeps the idea on track. Code is just one piece of the puzzle.
Up to you: come with friends, or come on your own and we'll find you a crew on the spot. A team has 3 to 6 people, and they can be from different schools. Nobody gets left out, promise.
Nothing. Zero. No fees, no hidden costs, no surprises at the end. You show up, build something, eat pizza and go home without spending a thing.
Nothing special, really. Ideally a laptop, its charger (the thing everyone forgets) and a good mood. We've got food covered: a hot meal at 3pm on day one, plus snacks and drinks while we're at the school.
We start at noon on day one and you hand in at noon on day two, so you get exactly 24 hours. We're at the school until 6pm, then you head home (or wherever you like) and keep working, and we meet again at 9am the next day. While you're at the school there are mentors around and a hot meal at 3pm, and at the end you present your project. The full schedule is in the Schedule section.
Of course it's okay. VNU Hack is for every high school student, any grade, any track. You're here to learn and have fun, not to prove anything to anyone.
VNU comes from Tudor Vianu National College of Computer Science, the high school at Strada Ion Mincu 10 that's hosting us. That's why you'll also see us called Vianu Hackathon or VNU Hack.
Still have a question? Write to us, contact info is right below ↓
Let's
connect
We're on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, and if your question is a long one, send us an email. We do reply, promise
