Team Formation: Teams can be formed at any time during the event, including after the hackathon begins
Team Changes: Replacements are allowed if a team member drops out during the event
Professional Participation: Industry professionals may participate but must declare their professional status in their Discord bio before the event begins
Development Guidelines
Pre-existing Code: Use of existing libraries, frameworks, and open-source tools is encouraged
Start Time: No coding on hackathon projects before the official start time (Saturday, June 28, 6:00 AM CT)
Development Window: All project code must be written during the 36-hour hackathon period
Boilerplate & Templates: Starter templates, boilerplate code, and scaffolding tools are permitted
AI Assistance: No restrictions on AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, etc.)
Submission Requirements
Per-Challenge Specifications: Detailed submission requirements will be outlined in each individual challenge prompt
Standard Requirements: Generally includes:
Demonstration video or live interview
Complete GitHub repository with all source code
Project documentation and setup instructions
Hosting: Not required, but bonus points awarded for deployed/hosted solutions
Deadline: All submissions due by Sunday, June 29, 6:00 PM Central Time (US)
Eligibility & Guidelines
Age Requirement: 13+ years old (in compliance with Discord community guidelines)
Geographic Scope: Open to participants worldwide
Fair Play: Cheating includes but is not limited to:
Using another team's work or code
Violating the 36-hour development window
Misrepresenting team composition
Plagiarism or unauthorized collaboration between teams
Intellectual Property & Ethics
Ownership: Participants retain full ownership of all code and projects created during the hackathon
Judge Conduct: Judges may not use participant work for personal or commercial gain
Open Source: Participants are encouraged (but not required) to make their projects open source
Community Guidelines
Discord Conduct: All participants must follow Discord's Terms of Service and Community Guidelines
Respectful Interaction: Maintain professional and respectful communication in all Discord channels
Collaboration Spirit: Help others, share knowledge, and maintain a supportive learning environment
No Harassment: Zero tolerance for harassment, discrimination, or inappropriate behavior
Judging & Recognition
Documentation: All judging sessions will be recorded for transparency
Recognition Platform: Winners in each category will be featured on the Summer Open website for one full year, then archived
Career Advancement: Winners receive a dedicated platform to showcase their portfolio, projects, and skills to potential employers
Professional Networking: Opportunity to connect with industry mentors and professionals for career guidance