Frontier Cascadia is a one-day hybrid hackathon for high school students who want to build something real.

On September 12, 2026, students will get 12 hours to build real software from scratch, either in person at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington in Seattle or live online.

This is not a classroom exercise or a science fair. Build software that solves a problem, tells a story, or changes how someone sees the world. Web apps, mobile apps, hardware projects, games, AI tools, browser extensions, and other working projects are all welcome.

Entry is completely free, with $10,000+ in prizes, cloud credits, developer tools, workshops, mentors, and judging from engineers and professionals who build products for a living.

You can come with an idea, form a team at the event, bring friends, or hack solo. Teams may have up to 4 members.

Remote participants follow the same schedule, submit through Devpost, and present to judges using the same judging rubric. In-person participation is strongly encouraged for students who live in the Greater Seattle area.

SCHEDULE

8:30 AM - Doors Open

9:00 AM - Opening & Rules

9:10 AM - Hacking Begins

12:00 PM - Working Lunch & Workshops

3:00 PM - Late Check-in Closes

5:30 PM - Submissions Close

5:45 PM - Expo Judging

7:00 PM - Finalists Announced

7:25 PM - Finalist Demos

7:55 PM - Awards & Closing

8:30 PM - End

LOCATION

In person:

Foster School of Business at the University of Washington

Founders Hall

4215 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195

Online:

Participate live from wherever you are.

Frontier Cascadia is built by students, for students. We are creating the space, tools, mentorship, and runway for ambitious young builders to ship something real, and get to test it afterward in the real world too!