Applications are invited for the MEGA Hackathon 2025. Check the eligibility below and register asap!
About MEGA Hackathon 2025
MEGA is a global coalition of high school and college students from institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, Duke University, and the University of Glasgow, united by a commitment to sustainable development and global welfare. Building on the success of past events, MEGA is hosting the MEGA Hackathon 2025 online on March 15-16, where participants will develop innovative solutions to critical issues like education, climate change, and inequality. Previous hackathons have produced impactful projects, which can be explored on Devpost and the MEGA website.
Hackathon Rules
- Any software development tools, IDE, and/or programming language can be used for the event. If a team member used a purchased tool licensed to him or her and the license is not transferable to other members, the member’s team must choose one available to all developer teams.
- You are permitted to use publicly developed and openly licensed API’s for your project.
- Project design/assets can be created prior to the start date of the hackathon. All assets should conform to the Creative Commons License agreement standard or are freely available and you have permission or license to use them.
- A team (maximum 5 members) can submit only one entry for the hackathon. An individual cannot be on more than one team.
- A team may not code applications that violate the code of conduct. For instance, Racially insensitive ideas for an application will automatically be disqualified.
Objective
The objective of this hackathon will be to apply computer science or artificial intelligence to improve infrastructure and/or propel economic growth. This can be completed in the form of a business plan, game, application, or website.
Purpose
The MEGA Hackathon is a unique opportunity for computer science students to showcase their skills and creativity, while also contributing to the United Nations’ seventeen sustainable development goals. By infusing computer science competitions with these goals, MEGA aims to raise awareness about pressing global issues and instill passion in the next generation of computer scientists.
MEGA’s annual hackathon is an event that allows participants to collaborate and compete. This year, MEGA’s hackathon will cater to a diverse range of interests and skill sets, with a variety of categories that include web development, data science, machine learning, and more.
The hackathon is open to students from all backgrounds, and there are no prerequisites for participation other than an interest in computer science and a desire to make a positive impact on the world. Participants will have the opportunity to work with mentors and industry professionals, as well as to network with other like-minded individuals from around the world.
Holistically, MEGA’s annual hackathon is an exciting and impactful event that showcases the power of computer science to drive positive change in the world. We encourage all computer science students to join us for this year’s event and help us make a difference!
Requirements
Before submitting your project, please fill out this registration form: Registration Form
The objective of this hackathon will be to apply STEM in projects that have the potential to increase global economic growth and/or infrastructure, in alignment with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).
This can be completed in the form of a business plan, game, application, or website. Regardless of which form of submission you choose, please submit a presentation or video describing your final product. If you wrote any code, please submit that too (preferably through a GitHub link).
There are also other awards that have secondary requirements such as the Wolfram Award and Business Innovator Award. To qualify for these awards, read the description of the prize to learn more about the requirements for these awards.
Note: When you register, you will recieve an access code for a 6 month subscription that would allow you to access the Wolfram Language. This would allow you to create projects that meets the requirement of the Wolfram Award.
Prizes
- Gold Medal (1st Place)
- $45 Desmos Swag Pack
- $25 Art of Problem Solving Coupon (2x)
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Vaunt GitHub Badge
- Silver Medal (2nd Place)
- $25 Art of Problem Solving Coupon
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Vaunt GitHub Badge
- Bronze Medal (3rd Place)
- $25 Art of Problem Solving Coupon
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Vaunt GitHub Badge
- Website Award (Most Visually Appealing Website)
- $60 1Password Family (1-year subscription) (1 per team member)
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Business Innovator Award (Best Business Plan)
- $60 1Password Family (1-year subscription) (1 per team member)
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Vaunt GitHub Badge
- AI Award (Best Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education)
- $60 1Password Family (1-year subscription) (1 per team member)
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Vaunt GitHub Badge
- Gaming Award (Best Game)
- $60 1Password Family (1-year subscription) (1 per team member)
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Vaunt GitHub Badge
- Sustainability Award (Best Alignment with UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals)
- $60 1Password Family (1-year subscription) (1 per team member)
- $50 Interview Cake 7-Day Coding Interview Prep Course (1 per team member)
- Vaunt GitHub Badge
- Wolfram Award (3 Winners)
- $1660 1-year subscription of Wolfram|One
- Participation Prizes
- Participation Prize (300 Winners): $10 .xyz domain (1-year subscription)
- Participation Prize 2 (300 Winners): $830 6-month Wolfram|One subscription
- Participation Prize 3 (484 Winners): $30 3-month access to refact.ai PRO subscription
Evaluation Criteria
- Innovation: Max Score 5 – Is this idea new? – Will this project contribute to economic growth or improved infrastructure?
- Technicality: Max Score 5 – Use of APIs, programs, and code in the project (if code was used) – How well was the idea implemented? (if code was used) – Is this concept possible to implement in the real world?
- Presentation: Max Score 5 – Is the information organized? – Is the concept understandable?
