LUMA Hackathon (July 3rd - 10th)

The challenge

The hackathon is a technical sprint where participants execute a functional project like an app, website, or software tool that solves a real-world problem through code.

Tracks / categories

Not specified.

Required tech & constraints

• Eligibility: Students only (middle or high school). Companies/professional organizations are excluded.
• Team Size: Teams of 1 to 5.
• Theme Release: The theme will be released on July 3rd. Submissions made before this date will not be considered.

Submission requirements

Round 1: Project Submission

Submit a 5-minute video demonstration covering:

• The Problem: What specific technical or social challenge are you tackling?
• The Build: A walkthrough of your codebase, architecture, and the stack used.
• The Demo: A screen share recording of the project functioning in real time.
• Scalability: How is this project suited to handle more data or more users?

Round 2: Live Finals

The top technical projects will advance to a Live Demonstration and Q&A. Finalists will run their code live for a panel of judges and defend their technical logic and architecture in a real-time discussion.

Judging criteria

• Technical Execution (25%): Is the code clean, efficient, and well-documented? Does the project actually work, and did the team demonstrate a strong grasp of their tech stack?
• Innovation & UX (25%): Did the team come up with an original or clever idea? Is the interface intuitive and the user flow seamless for the end user?
• Business & Finance (25%): Does the submission include a realistic business model, revenue streams, and a clear path to financial sustainability?
• Communication (25%): Did the video and live Q&A demonstrate a deep understanding of the product, its technical architecture, and its target consumers?

Prizes

• 1st Place: $250 cash
• All Participants: Subscription bundle (worth over $200)

Bonus / optional points

Not specified.