About the challenge
Firebird Hacks is a free, one-day hackathon for middle and high school students from the Eastern Shore and nearby regions, held on Saturday, March 20, 2027 at Arcadia High School in Oak Hall, Virginia. Students form teams of up to four and spend the day building original websites, web apps and games, and every team presents its project to a pair of judges at the end of the day.
No coding experience is needed. Volunteer mentors lead optional beginner workshops in the morning and help teams throughout the day. For most students on the Eastern Shore, this will be their first hackathon, since events of this kind are typically held at colleges or in cities hours away, and Firebird Hacks brings that experience home.
Every project is built for one of three tracks.
- Aerospace. Build software for space-related challenges, such as rover dashboards, orbit trackers and mission simulators.
- Community & Health. Build tools that help people in rural communities, such as apps that map nearby clinics or connect residents with local resources.
- Cybersecurity. Build projects that keep people safe online, such as phishing detectors or tools that teach good security habits.
Get started
- Register through our registration form to save your spot. This is how we plan food, seats and prizes, and every participant needs to fill it out!
- Join this hackathon on Devpost as well, which is where your team will submit its project on March 20.
- Find teammates ahead of time or at the team building event on the morning of March 20. Teams can have up to four members.
- Bring a laptop and charger. Wi-Fi details will be shared closer to the event.
- Arrive at Arcadia High School at 8:00 AM for check-in and breakfast. The opening ceremony starts at 9:00 AM.
Requirements
What to Build
An original website, web app or game that fits one of the three tracks, Aerospace, Community & Health, or Cybersecurity. Projects must be written in code, and all work must be started at the event.
What to Submit
- A project name and a short description of what it does and how you built it
- The track your project fits
- Screenshots or a short demo video
- A link to your code, such as a GitHub repository, if you have one
- All team members added to the submission
Prizes
Aerospace Track, 1st Place
Each member of the 1st place team in the Aerospace track receives a prize valued at $50.
Aerospace Track, 2nd Place
Each member of the 2nd place team in the Aerospace track receives a prize valued at $35.
Aerospace Track, 3rd Place
Each member of the 3rd place team in the Aerospace track receives a prize valued at $25.
Community and Health Track, 1st Place
Each member of the 1st place team in the Community and Health track receives a prize valued at $50.
Community and Health Track, 2nd Place
Each member of the 2nd place team in the Community and Health track receives a prize valued at $35.
Community and Health Track, 3rd Place
Each member of the 3rd place team in the Community and Health track receives a prize valued at $25.
Cybersecurity Track, 1st Place
Each member of the 1st place team in the Cybersecurity track receives a prize valued at $50.
Cybersecurity Track, 2nd Place
Each member of the 2nd place team in the Cybersecurity track receives a prize valued at $35.
Cybersecurity Track, 3rd Place
Each member of the 3rd place team in the Cybersecurity track receives a prize valued at $25.
Judges
Anna Nguyen
PLACEHOLDER
Judging Criteria
-
Creativity
How original is the idea, and does it approach the problem in a fresh way? -
Technical Understanding
How well does the team understand and explain the code they wrote and how their project works? -
Track Fit
How well does the project fit its track, Aerospace, Community and Health, or Cybersecurity? -
Design
Is the project easy and enjoyable to use, with a clear and thoughtful layout? -
Presentation
How clearly does the team demo the project and answer the judges' questions?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager