HACKATHON OR HACKFEST?

ABOUT US

FutureHacks Five 2023 is an annual Online Free to Attend International hackathon co-organized by AiGoLearning and Sunshine. More than a Competitive Hackathon, it is a Hack Festival where all students irrespective of age or skill set, come and collaborate to create a tech project. We also welcome all the parents to participate in the informational workshops by esteemed guest speakers on topics like CS Industry, College Applications, Leadership and much more! We aim to create a cheerful environment where the whole family gets to learn something over a weekend.

TL;DR :)

  • Who can Participate - Anyone on earth aged 7-18
  • How to Register - Fill the Registration form given above (PS - It only takes 2 minutes)
  • Registration Deadline - 4/14/23
  • Is there any Registration Fee - I didn’t hear that?
  • When is the Event - 4/14/23-4/16/23
  • Can I work in Teams? - Absolutely, You are allowed to work Individually or maximum in a Team of 2.
  • Project Submission Deadline - 4/16/23 at 12pm ET
  • Are there Prizes - You bet!
  • I don’t know Coding :( - We got you covered, Read on!

THEME

the THEME OF THE HACKATHON IS “FutureHacks Five: Coding into the Future with AI”!
   - https://futurehacks.net/theme


RULES & REGULATIONS

To keep the event fair for all, we have divided the participant pool into 2 different categories. You have no excuse to not work hard!

Junior Category
(Age 7-13 | Class 1 to 7)

  • Welcome first time hackers, we have tried to make your first hackathon as enjoyable as possible. Remember at this point in time, it is important to focus on learning and building skills!
  • You are allowed to use Scratch & Python and included libraries to build your project.
  • Parents may offer some guidance on understanding the theme and bridging the gaps, however they are not allowed to write code. (Parents, we understand this is probably your child's first hackathon hence allowing this liberty, however misuse of it will lead to disqualification)

Senior Category
(Age 14-18 | Class 8 to 12)

  • Greetings experienced hackers, Time to brush all your tech skills, and don't forget to learn something new along the way. (PS Don't worry, all the first time hackers here, we have thought of you, Keep scrolling!)
  • There are no restrictions on the programming language and tools used to build your project. Feel free to use this to your advantage. (Those wondering if this is unfair, the judging process does not consider how you made the hack. Refer to the Judging Rubric below)
  • Any kind of help from an external person will directly lead to immediate disqualification.
Judging Rubric

DON’T KNOW CODING?

We will have FREE Live workshops leading up to the hackathon for all participants to attend and brush their skills for the Hackathon. For more details, Register Today for the Hackathon, and you will get details in an Email. Following are the various sessions we will be having!

1: Scratch

In this workshop, students will be introduced to important blocks and coding logic, such as broadcasting and receiving messages, conditionals, loops, and variables. Students will create a small project using their newly acquired skills.

2: Scratch + AI

This session will introduce the fundamental artificial intelligence concept of image recognition and combines it with programming. Students will apply their knowledge of scratch to implement image recognition into their program.

3: Python

Students will be introduced to important Python concepts and coding logic. Python is such an important language because it is so readable and perfect for beginners. Students will create a rock paper scissors bot to demonstrate their newly acquired skills.

4. Python+AI

This workshop will introduce key artificial intelligence concepts and combine them with the participants’ prior knowledge of python. This workshop is advanced and all participants are expected to have a basic understanding of python.

5: Java

In this workshop, students will learn the various mathematical methods in Java. Java is used to build Android mobile applications. It also has applications in IoT. Students will be able to practice their skills through problems and projects.

6. HTML/CSS

This workshop for HTML & CSS serves as a beginner’s guide to the major languages used to build websites in the current technological age. Through this workshop, students will learn HTML and CSS in a fun, interactive, and project-based curriculum.

7. Roblox

Are you a Roblox fan? Create your own games on Roblox to advance your experience there significantly! Students will learn how to utilize Roblox Studio to make custom worlds and program mini-games in this special live interactive workshop.

8. Minecraft

Unlock the full potential of Minecraft with our classes! Build, code, and create with the world's most popular game while developing valuable skills in coding, engineering, architecture, and problem-solving.

Awards

If the winning project is made by a team both members of the team will recieve the award mentioned below together!


The Grand Prize is given to the Top 2 Teams in the Junior Category, as decided by the judges panel in the Final Judging Round.
The Grand prize gives you access to premiuim coding courses by Thinkland.ai. You can choose from Scratch Jr, Scratch, Scratch+AI, Python, Java etc.

  • Winner
    - AiGoLearning Internship(either with President or with a Teacher).
    - $640 - 32 classes(2 levels)
    - $30 Roblox Credit
  • Runner Up - $320 - 16 classes(1 level).


For our Junior Hackers we have loads of gifts to appriciate their efforts.
The Winners will be decided based on the Judging Rubric given above.

  • Best Problem Solving - Is your project the solution to a pressing problem?
    Winner - $50 Arduino Student Kit
    Runner Up - $30 Minecraft Subscription
  • Most Creative Hack - Is your project the most creative?
    Winner - $50 Drone
    Runner Up - $30 Roblox Credit
  • Honorable Mentions


The Grand Prize is given to the Top 2 Teams in the Senior Category, as decided by the judges panel in the Final Judging Round.
The Grand prize gives you access to premiuim coding courses by Thinkland.ai. You can choose from courses such as USA Computing Olympiad preparation, Java, Python, HTML&CSS etc.

  • Winner
    - AiGoLearning Internship(either with President or with a Teacher).
    - $640 - 32 classes(2 levels)
    - $30 Minecraft Credit
  • Runner Up - $320 credit to avail any 6-Month live coding course.


Did not get the Grand Prize? Don't worry!
The Special prizes winners will be decided by the judges during prelimnary round of judging.

  • Most Unique Hack - Can you create an out of the box Hack?
    Winner Amazon Echo Dot.
    Runner Up - Phone Charger with UV Sanitizer
  • Most Practical Hack - Is your hack feasible in everyday life?
    Winner - Laptop Backpack.
    Runner Up - Bluetooth Earbuds
  • Honorable Mentions

Popular Vote Challenge

The Popular Vote Challenge is your chance to share your project with friends and family and ask them to vote for it. All submitted projects can be voted for after 12:00pm ET Sunday 4/16/2023
Top Projects with the most votes by 12:00pm ET Sunday 4/23/2023 in each categoory will be announced as the Most popular Hacks.
The following prizes will be given to the Most Popular Hacks:

  • Winner
    - AiGoLearning Internship(either with President or with a Teacher).
    - $400 class credit
    - AiGoLearning Swag
  • Runner Up - $20 Gift Card(choice of Microsoft, Apple, Amazon).
  • Honorable Mentions - AiGoLearning Swag.

*possible changes in senior track, due to lack of participants

Schedule

Please note that All the sessions will be recorded and available for anyone to view, if they are not able to join the live session. We understand that many of the participants are coming from different timezones, hence made this provision.

Kick-off meeting to introduce the coding challenge


Parents Information Session & Guidance Lesson Intro


the opening ceremony recording is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW3qN_X8Axs

Link to join Meeting ID: 830 019 1280 - Passcode: 123456

Link to join Meeting ID: 830 019 1280 - Passcode: 123456

Link to join Meeting ID: 830 019 1280 - Passcode: 123456

Link to join Meeting ID: 830 019 1280 - Passcode: 123456

Link to join Meeting ID: 830 019 1280 - Passcode: 123456

Link to join Meeting ID: 830 019 1280 - Passcode: 123456

Judges

Phoenyx Ali

Palo Alto College

Brendan Barber

University of the Incarnate Word

Gustav Baumgart, MS

University of Minnesota

Daniel Berezovsky

Michigan State University

Isabela Caneda

University of Texas at Austin

Alicia Chen

Emory University

Matthew Chesky

University of Maryland

Ali Fakhry

New York University

Jeffrey Gao

University of Connecticut

Elijah Harris

Stony Brook University

Daniel Liu

NYU Stern

Brian Luu

University of Illinois at Chicago

Shiven Patel

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Chetan Patil

Tech Lead Manager at Google

Elias Siegelman, MBA

Thomas Jefferson University

Katherine Spann

Tennessee Technological University

Andy Trinh

University of Texas at Austin

James Underwood

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

Nathan Zhang

University of Pennsylvania

Past Winners

Hackathon 2020
Future I 2021 Spring
FutureHacks II 2021 Summer

WHY FUTUREHACKS （As a student）

Pursue Your Passion

Hackathons are the perfect place for students to discover and develop a passion for computer science. They give students an opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends.

Win Cool Prizes

Participants can win awards for using their creativity and problem solving skills! The range of awards that will be given is listed above and registering is free, so it’s a win-win situation.

Meet New Friends

Hackathons are great places to meet people who have similar interests as you and to have interesting conversations about such computer science related topics. Participants will be able to meet and work with others who share their passions and interests!

WHY FUTUREHACKS （As parents）

Create Lasting Memories

Participants will be able to get suggestions during the event to improve their project and presentation. They will present their projects to a panel of judges consisting of students from top universities. Additionally, they will have access to detailed paragraph feedback on their project after the event.

Special Opportunities

Usually hackathons are for high schoolers, but not FutureHacks! FutureHacks is one of the few coding competitions offered to middle and upper elementary school students. It is a great learning opportunity!

Receive Constructive Feedback

Participants will be able to present their projects to a panel of judges consisting of experts in the computer science field and students from top universiities. They will receive quality feedback from people who have experience in this field!

FAQ

How does registration work?
Just fill out the Registration form above, and you will recieve an email highlighting the next steps. PS (Its Free!)
No worries! You can attend the Free preparational sessions that we will holding before the hackathon throughout the month. 
We will be holding workshops, interviews on various topics that participants and their parents can attend. Additionally, there will be fun activities from 6 pm to 8 pm on Saturday
Projects will be judged for presentation skills, coding techniques, and how well the project fits the theme
I live in different timezone and it will be hard for me to join?
No worries! We will be recording each and every session, so you can watch sessions you missed. Just an FYI, it is a weekend so might be time to pull your first All-Nighter!
Yes! Participants can work in groups from 1 to 2 people
Scrolled too fast! Go to the prizes section above :)
No! All participants need to show strong passion and dedication to be eligible to participate in the Hackathon. Just kidding, this event requires no monetary contibution from you to attend. But yeah we would appriciate strong passion!
Code of Conduct