IMPORTANT: This is an in-person event. All students, judges, and mentors must be able to attend in person at Skagit Valley College and remain for the duration of the event. 

If you are interested in serving as a judge, mentor, or volunteer, please sign up using the form below: SVC Hackathon Volunteer Sign-up – Fill out form

Deadline Update

The priority deadline has passed—but sign-ups are still open! Students may register until April 30th at 11:59 PM PST, or until capacity is reached. Secure your spot soon!

Overview

The Skagit Valley College 2026 Hackathon is a one-day innovation event focused on finding computer-based solutions that support local environmental conservation and sustainability. Coders and non-coders alike are invited to collaborate, brainstorm, and develop ideas that address real-world challenges affecting our communities and our planet.

Participants will work to develop solutions and materials to demonstrate their impact and feasibility. For computer programmers, this can mean writing code for part of a functioning system. For others, this can be designing a concept, performing research, or employing any other skills to further develop and demonstrate the solution. The goal is to turn ideas into meaningful environmental impact. Interdisciplinary collaboration is highly encouraged.

Throughout the event, students will work with their teams, receive mentorship from SVC faculty and industry volunteers, and present their projects to judges. The schedule includes dedicated blocks for focused project development, mentor check-ins, and presentation preparation. 

The event is proudly student-led, organized by Computing Club officers with support from SVC Computer Science Department faculty, college leadership and staff, student volunteers, and industry professionals serving as judges and mentors.

Eligibilty 

Open to all! We welcome: 

• High school students 16 and over 
• Active students currently pursuing a post-secondary degree
• Industry professionals and community members (see prize eligibility below)

Prize Eligibility

Prizes are available only for teams composed entirely of individuals who meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Currently enrolled as a student (high school or post-secondary), OR
• Have not yet graduated with a bachelor's degree, OR
• Have worked in the tech/related industry for one year or less

What's Included

• SWAG Bag: All registered participants receive a welcome kit to kick off the day.
• Meals & Refreshments: Free breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus snacks and drinks available all day.
• Mentorship & Networking: Structured time to connect with SVC faculty, industry professionals, and fellow innovators.
• Judging & Recognition: Present your work to a panel of judges and compete for prizes.

General Information

• Date: Saturday, May 2nd, 2026
• Start Time: 8:00 AM | End Time: TBD (Estimated 5:00–7:00 PM)
• Location: Skagit Valley College, Lewis Hall
• Registration Deadline: April 30th, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST (or when capacity is reached)

Note: Priority registration deadline was April 15th. General registration remains open.

Theme

Environmental Conservation and Sustainability

Subcategories: Revealed at the Hackathon!

Projects should focus on protecting natural resources, addressing climate challenges, or promoting sustainable practices. All innovative, theme-aligned ideas are welcome with organizer approval.

Keep your ideas flexible! The specific subcategory challenges will be announced on the day of the event, encouraging participants to think broadly about sustainability while staying ready to adapt their solutions to the revealed focus areas.

Judging Overview

All projects should propose a technology-based solution, but teams are welcome to build using either code or no-code tools—whichever best aligns with their skills. Projects will be judged on overall idea strength, quality of execution, and real-world feasibility.

To ensure fair evaluation across different skill sets:

• Track-aware judging: Coder submissions will be assessed with attention to technical. execution and system design, while non-coder submissions will be evaluated on concept development, research depth, and creative problem-solving.
• Unified prize pool: All teams compete for the same prizes—there are no separate award categories for coders vs. non-coders.
• Winning criteria: Winners are selected based on overall excellence within their chosen approach.

Judges will consider factors such as:

• How clearly the project addresses the identified problem.
• The potential environmental or community impact of the solution.
• The practicality of implementing the idea beyond the event.
• The degree to which the solution engages or benefits its intended audience.
• Overall presentation quality, innovation, and originality.

A detailed scoring rubric will be provided to all participants on the day of the hackathon.

• Relevance
  Make sure that your solution is related to your chosen problem category.
• Impact
  Consider the degree to which your solution would solve your chosen problem. Aim to maximize positive change.
• Innovation
  Be creative! Come up with a novel idea or combine existing solutions in unique ways.
• Feasibility
  Consider the time, money, and other resources that would be required to implement your solution. If your solution were proposed to an environmental governing body, would it be approved?
• Presentation (double points)
  Create materials to demonstrate that your solution would work if it were implemented. Present them clearly and make a strong case. Answer judges’ questions directly and confidently.