Hackathons
Hack Club hackathons are free, in-person coding events where high schoolers build projects over 24–48 hours. They’re some of the most fun events in the Hack Club calendar.
Types of Hackathons
Flagship Events
Hack Club HQ organizes a few major events each year:
- Assemble — the flagship summer hackathon in San Francisco
- Outernet — a festival-style event in Vermont
- Trail — on a train across the country
Community Hackathons
Any Hack Club can run their own hackathon! Hack Club HQ provides:
- Fiscal sponsorship (handle money through Hack Club Bank)
- Planning guides and templates
- Marketing support
- Sticker drops
Running a Hackathon
Planning Timeline
| Weeks Before | Tasks |
|---|---|
| 12+ | Pick date, secure venue, form organizing team |
| 8–10 | Open registration, start sponsor outreach |
| 4–6 | Confirm sponsors, finalize schedule |
| 1–2 | Send final details to attendees |
| Day of | Have fun! |
Essentials
Every hackathon needs:
- Venue — school gym, community center, or office space
- Food — meals and snacks for all attendees
- WiFi — fast, reliable, with good passwords
- Power strips — lots of them
- Judges — for end-of-event demos
Hack Club Bank
Use Hack Club Bank to handle hackathon finances. It provides a nonprofit fiscal umbrella, so sponsors can make tax-deductible donations. No bank account needed.
Attending a Hackathon
What to Bring
- Laptop + charger
- Any hardware you want to hack on
- Toiletries (for overnight events)
- An open mind
Etiquette
- Build something. Anything.
- Collaborate across teams
- Sleep if you need to — burnout isn’t cool
- Give helpful feedback during demos
Project Ideas
Stuck on what to build? Some perennial favorites:
- Browser extensions
- Discord bots
- Hardware hacks with Raspberry Pi
- Games (try Sprig)
- Web apps that solve real problems
Famous Hackathon Projects
Many Hack Club projects that started at hackathons have grown into real products. The culture celebrates making over competing.