The hackathon is open to students, professionals, beginners, and experts. All skill levels are welcome!
A Hackathon for All
Hornet Hacks is a collaborative initiative organized by the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, ACM Sac State, and Hornet Hacks to foster innovation and exploration in the fields of Education, Healthcare, Sustainability, and Open Innovation (Wildcard).
This competitive event is designed to bring together students with a passion for hacking and making an impact. Participants can choose one of the four tracks to build in and generate a solution to a real-world problem in the industry. Teams are encouraged to explore creative approaches and cutting-edge tools to bring their ideas to life, but how they innovate is completely up to them.
The competition is open to teams with a minimum of two members and a maximum of five, allowing for diverse collaborative efforts. Each team will showcase their projects to a panel of judges, who will evaluate them based on innovation, applicability, technical proficiency, and potential impact. We will have $500 in cash prizes per track, plus additional in-kind awards.
Hornet Hacks aims to provide a platform for students to demonstrate their skills, creativity, and vision, while also promoting a culture of learning, exploration, and knowledge-sharing among peers.
Organizers
Frequently Asked Questions
You can register on Devpost. Make sure to register early as spots may be limited.
Day 1 — Fri, Oct 17: 9:00 AM–10:00 PM
Orientation, rules, and team formation. The Carlsen Center is open as your workspace, with scheduled meals and guest speakers.
Day 2 — Sat, Oct 18: 9:00 AM–10:00 PM
Full day of hacking at the Carlsen Center with mentors and subject-matter experts available in person and virtually.
Day 3 — Sun, Oct 19: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
Final touches and project pitches. $2,000 in cash prizes plus in-kind awards.
Bring your laptop, charger, a notepad, and anything else you need to work comfortably. We’ll provide meals, snacks, and drinks throughout the event.
Yes, you can form a team before the event. Teams can have up to 5 members. If you don’t have a team, we’ll help you find one during the event.
Yes, you can work solo or join a team at the event. We recommend forming a team as it will allow you to make the most progress and compete for awards.
The hackathon will take place at Carlsen Center on the Library's 1st floor (Library 1520).
You can join or leave at any time, but your project must be completed and submitted before the deadline to qualify for prizes. Our recommendation is that you are present for a majority of the session. The winners of the past hackathon were present and diligent in using resources provided by the leadership team.
Yes, you can use open-source libraries, APIs, and frameworks, as long as you disclose what you used during your project presentation.
Projects will be judged based on creativity, technical difficulty, innovation, and overall presentation. Specific judging criteria will be announced at the start of the event. You will be given a recommended template to present to make the presentation more effective.
Yes! We have awesome prizes for the top teams, including $2,000 in cash prizes, automatic acceptance into College Pitch competitions, and more.
You can reach out to us at c.law@csus.edu or join our Discord server for any additional questions.