ImpactHack 2026

About the challenge

ImpactHack 2026 challenges students to build technology that solves a real problem or creates something genuinely useful.

Projects can take any form: websites, mobile apps, AI tools, games, hardware, productivity tools, educational technology, accessibility solutions, or something completely new.

AI is fully allowed and encouraged.

Participants may use AI throughout the entire development process, including:

- Brainstorming and research

- Writing and debugging code

- Designing interfaces

- Generating images, text, audio, or other assets

- Learning unfamiliar technologies

- Building presentations and documentation

- Using AI agents and coding assistants

- Integrating AI models and APIs into the finished project

There is no penalty for using AI-assisted development tools.

We especially encourage teams to go beyond simply using AI to build their project and create products where AI itself performs a meaningful function for the user.

Examples include projects that use AI to analyze information, make recommendations, understand language or images, automate tasks, personalize experiences, generate useful content, or help users make decisions.

Get started

1) Find a problem you want to solve.

2) Form a team or compete individually.

3) Decide what you want to build.

4) Use whatever development tools help you make it.

5) Build a working prototype.

6) Submit your project and demonstrate what it can do.