### 🗓️ Important Dates & Key Deadlines
* **Pre-Hackathon Online Sprint Begins:** Late August 2026 (1 week prior to main event)
* **Registration / Application Deadline:** August 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT
* **Event Day (In-Person):** Late August 2026 (Saturday)
* **9:00 AM EDT:** Doors Open & Registration Check-In
* **10:00 AM EDT:** Hacking Officially Begins
* **2:15 PM EDT:** Georgia Tech Campus Tour *(Optional)*
* **4:00 PM EDT:** Project Submission Deadline
* **5:15 PM EDT:** Awards & Closing Ceremony
---
### 👥 Eligibility
1. **Student Status:** Open to all high school students (Grades 9–12) and recent high school graduates (graduated within 12 months) residing in Georgia.
2. **Team Size:** Individual submissions are allowed, or teams of **1 to 4 members**. All team members must be registered participants.
3. **Age & Permissions:** Participants under 18 years of age must submit a signed **Parent/Guardian Consent & Liability Form** at or prior to check-in.
4. **MLH Code of Conduct:** All attendees, mentors, judges, and staff must agree to abide by the [MLH Code of Conduct](https://static.mlh.io/docs/mlh-code-of-conduct.pdf).
---
### 💻 Project and Submission Requirements
To be eligible for judging and prizes, all submissions must meet the following criteria by **4:00 PM EDT** on event day:
1. **Original Work:** All code, design assets, and project materials must be created during the hackathon period. Pre-existing code bases are strictly prohibited (open-source libraries, publicly available APIs, and frameworks are allowed).
2. **Devpost Submission:** Projects must be submitted through our official Devpost page and include:
* **Project Title & Pitch:** A clear summary describing what the project does and who it helps.
* **Source Code Repository:** A link to a public code repository (e.g., GitHub) containing all project source code and a clean `README.md`.
* **Short Video Demo:** A brief 2-minute video overview demonstrating the working project/prototype.
* **Track Selection:** Indication of applicable prize categories (e.g., Bytefight AI, W@CC Impact, Theme Track).
3. **Live Presentation:** Teams must be present at their assigned booth during the **Judging Expo (4:15 PM – 5:15 PM)** to demonstrate their hack live to judges.
---
### 🏆 Prizes & Award Categories
* 🥇 **Overall Best Hack (1st Place):** Top overall project demonstrating exceptional execution, creativity, and impact.
* 🥈 **Overall Runner-Up (2nd & 3rd Place):** High-performing runner-up teams across all categories.
* 🤖 **Bytefight AI & Automation Award:** Best implementation of AI tools, game logic, or bot automation (co-evaluated with Bytefight at GT).
* 💜 **Women@CoC Diversity & Social Impact Award:** Best project promoting social equity, inclusion, or accessibility (co-evaluated with W@CC).
* 🏝️ **Island Theme Award:** Best hack addressing island/isolated communities, ocean sustainability, or disaster response.
* ⚡ **Pre-Hackathon Bytefight Leaderboard Champion:** Highest-scoring team from the 1-week online pre-event challenge.
---