IceHacks

❄️ IceHacks 2026
Build something cool. From anywhere.
A virtual hackathon for student builders, creative thinkers, and first-time hackers.
This November, CodeStarters brings you
IceHacks 2026
— an online hackathon where students come together to turn ideas into real projects. Whether you're building your first website, experimenting with AI, developing an app, or solving a problem you care about, IceHacks is your space to create something cool.
No experience? No problem. Just bring your curiosity, creativity, and willingness to build.
[Register on Devpost]
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Join the Discord
What is IceHacks?
IceHacks is a fully virtual hackathon hosted by CodeStarters, a student-led nonprofit making computer science and artificial intelligence education more accessible.
Participants have a limited time to turn their ideas into working projects, explore new technologies, collaborate with other builders, and share what they've created.
From your first line of code to your next big idea, there's a place for you at IceHacks.
What to expect
🌐 Fully online
— Build and participate from wherever you are.
❄️ Beginner-friendly
— First hackathon? You're welcome here.
💡 Build your way
— Create websites, apps, AI tools, games, and more.
🤝 Find your people
— Collaborate, share ideas, and learn from fellow builders.
🏆 Show what you can do
— Submit your project for judging and recognition.
Event Details
Event:
IceHacks 2026
When:
November 8–17, 2026 (hacking runs Nov 8–15)
Where:
Fully online
Hosted by:
Cod

Requirements
IceHacks 2026 Official Rules
1. Eligibility
IceHacks is open to students interested in technology, programming, design, and innovation.
Participants must register through the official IceHacks Devpost page.
Participants under 18 must obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian where required.
All participants must follow the event's rules and code of conduct.
Eligibility:
13+
2. Team Formation
Participants may compete individually or in teams of up to 4 members.
Each participant may join only one team and contribute to one competing submission.
Team members must be registered for IceHacks.
3. Project Development
Projects must be developed primarily during the official hacking period.
Participants may use existing frameworks, APIs, libraries, open-source software, and development tools. Previously developed projects may not be submitted as entirely new work.
Any pre-existing code or significant third-party contributions must be disclosed.
4. Artificial Intelligence
AI tools, including coding assistants and generative AI, are permitted.
Participants must disclose significant AI-generated contributions and remain responsible for understanding and demonstrating their projects.
Judges will evaluate the submitted project and the work completed during the hackathon, not merely the amount of code generated.
5. Originality and Intellectual Property
Participants retain ownership of their original work.
Projects must not knowingly infringe upon another person's intellectual property rights. Any third-party assets, code, or datasets must be used according to their applicable licenses.
By submitting, participants grant CodeStarters permission to display their project name, description, and submitted demonstration for event-related promotion, subject to the final published rules.
6. Submission Deadline
All projects must be submitted through Devpost before Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 6:00 PM PT.
Late or incomplete submissions may be disqualified.
7. Judging
Eligible projects will be evaluated according to the judging criteria published on the IceHacks Devpost page.
Participants may be asked to provide additional information or demonstrate their projects to judges.
8. Code of Conduct
IceHacks is committed to providing a respectful and inclusive environment for everyone.
Harassment, discrimination, bullying, threats, hate speech, and other abusive behavior are prohibited.
Participants must respect fellow hackers, organizers, mentors, judges, and sponsors. Cheating, plagiarism, deliberate misrepresentation, and attempts to interfere with other participants' work are prohibited.
Report any concerns to
[email protected]
Organizers may issue warnings, remove participants from event communication channels, or disqualify submissions for violations.
9. Prizes
Any prizes will be awarded according to the published prize descriptions and eligibility requirements.
10. Organizer Decisions
CodeStarters reserves the right to investigate rule violations and

Judging Criteria
It Actually Runs
Must work end to end in the demo and/or live link. Core features fully built, not mocked, hardcoded, or faked. Slides, Figma-only, or crashing projects score near zero. Hardware must be shown running in real time.
Technical Difficulty & Execution
How hard was it to build, and how well? Real logic, multiple integrated systems, clean code in a public repo. Thin API wrappers or reskinned tutorials score low. Commit history must show work done during the event.
Originality & Innovation
Is this genuinely new? Generic to-do apps, weather apps, basic chatbots, and clones of existing products score low unless they add something meaningfully different. Show us something we haven't seen 100 times.
Real-World Impact
Solves a real, clearly defined problem for a specific audience. Explain who it's for and why it beats existing solutions. Extra credit for evidence: user testing, feedback, or data proving the problem exists.
Design & User Experience
Intuitive, polished, and accessible. A judge should get it within seconds, no instructions needed. We check layout, consistency, error handling, and detail. For hardware: build quality, wiring, and enclosure.
Presenta