ABOUT
why we made Neighborhood Hacks
WHAT IT IS
Neighborhood Hacks is a global hackathon where high schoolers use technology to solve real problems in their own communities, not hypothetical ones. We believe the most impactful builders start by looking at what's broken around them and building the fix. Over one week, students from every continent design, build, and pitch solutions to challenges they've personally witnessed at home, then join a global community of young builders doing the same thing, everywhere else.
HOW IT STARTED
Caleb and Kian started Neighborhood Hacks after noticing that many hackathon prompts had little to do with students' daily lives. They wanted to make an event based on problems students already know firsthand.
Projects can focus on health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, education and access, community safety, civic connection, accessibility, or inclusion. The topic is up to each student, as long as it comes from their own community.
WHO CAN JOIN
Any high school student can join from anywhere in the world. The event is free, and you do not need coding or hackathon experience. You can work on your own or with a team of up to five. Come with a problem in your community that you want to understand better.
WHAT MATTERS HERE
LOCAL CONTEXT
People who live in a place notice details that outsiders may miss. We want students to use that knowledge when choosing what to build.
USEFUL WORK
Technology should fit the problem and be useful to the people affected by it.
OPEN TO BEGINNERS
No prior experience is required. We offer help during the week and schedule activities across time zones.
LEARNING TOGETHER
Projects will be judged, but rankings are only one part of the event. Neighborhood Hacks is also a place to meet students from other communities and learn from their work.