October 13-14, 2023 + In-Person
Broward College – Central Campus, Building 13
Submission Deadline
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What’s our hackathon all about?
PlutoHacks is a 24 hour in-person event where hackers will take a trip through the different stages of growth- from beginner, to expert, and everything in between. We give you the tools to build something great and the space to learn, iterate and evolve your idea. Our event will bring together people of all different backgrounds to learn and grow their skills, collaborate and make something awesome.
We all start from somewhere. You might start out thinking you’re dwarf planet, but after this event, you’ll realize that you’re a whole other planet. We want you to learn something new, achieve something you’ve never done before, and make awesome ideas happen! We are here for the creators, thinkers, and doers of this world.
Join our Hackathon as a…
Hacker
Mentor
Sponsor
Volunteer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a "hackathon"?
A hackathon is a common event hosted by companies or schools where students come together to collaborate on a project. You can create a web project, prototype, mobile app, game, or even a hardware project. You can think of it as a coding marathon. Anything can be built. There are usually categories or “tracks” in a hackathon that can help you scope your project to a problem that needs to be solved.
Where and when is PlutoHacks?
Our hackathon will be happening from October 13 to October 14, 2023. This hackathon is open to all students in the United States, but in-person participation is required.
Is there a theme for this hackathon?
Every year we have different categories and challenges for the hackathon. You will find out about them during the opening ceremony. All of the challenges will be documented in our Devpost page, which will go live during the opening ceremony.
What are the categories/prizes?
All of the categories and prizes will be announced during the opening ceremony.
How can I become a sponsor?
If you are interested in sponsoring our event, please check out this page, and fill out the application at the bottom!
How much experience do I need?
You don’t need any experience to participate in our hackathon. We welcome students of all skill levels and academic backgrounds. We will have workshops prior to and during the hackathon as well as mentors available to provide help and guidance with your project.
All hackathon teams look different. You can be a programmer, a graphic expert, or even just someone with an idea!
How many hackers does PlutoHacks usually have?
What do I need to bring?
We recommend bringing your own laptop. If you do not have your own device, you may use our limited supply of computers. We highly recommend using your own device, that way you don’t need to wait to install any software. Since this is a 24 hour hackathon, we also suggest bringing hygiene products, feminine products, blankets, or whatever reasonable item you need to be comfortable here!
Will we get swag?
You will get a swag package when you check in. Please make sure to input your correct T-Shirt size when filling out the registration form!
What about food?
We will be serving food throughout the event- free of cost! Our wonderful sponsors handle the expenses for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner!
How much does it cost?
Nothing! PlutoHacks is a free event for all those that wish to participate! Everything is funded by our sponsors.
How can I prepare for the hackathon?
We have created a hacker guide for all hackers. It will be available upon your registration acceptance.
Prior to the hackathon, we will also be having workshops on a variety of different topics that can help prepare you for the event. These workshops will be virtual and recorded.
What time do we start hacking?
You can visit our schedule here.
We will have an opening ceremony and closing ceremony, and there will be workshops and mini-events that will happen throughout the day.
Do I need to have a group?
You can either work solo or in a team. If you are working in a team, teams can have no more than four members. You can create or join teams prior to the hackathon, but we will also have a team formation session during the hackathon.
We do not force the creation of teams according to skill. We encourage you to make use of our #team-formation channel in our Discord server.
Who can attend PlutoHacks?
Our face-to-face event is eligible to all students (undergraduate and below) in the United States who attend in person. You must currently be a student or have graduated within a year. If you are under 18, you will have to fill out a waiver form when you register.
Only registered hackers can attend—no guests are allowed.
Can I start later on in the hackathon?
Life happens— come when you can and join a team! It’s all about learning and enjoying the experience.
Where can I see past submissions?
We have recorded all of our 2021 & 2022 winning submissions on these pages 2021 highlights & 2022 highlights! You can also see all of the submissions in the 2021 & 2022 Devpost.
Can I submit old projects?
No. All submissions must be original creations that were made during the timeframe of our event. You can not post any projects that were made prior to the hackathon. We do not allow cross submissions. We do check for this, so if you don’t follow these rules we will not consider your submission.
Can I use a boilerplate?
Yes. A boilerplate is essentially a starter project that can be generated from different libraries or frameworks. As long as your project doesn’t center around the boilerplate, you may use them. Use caution when using boilerplates, as judges can disqualify your project.
Who can I reach out to with questions?
You can reach us at computer-science@broward.edu or you can reach out to an organizer on our Discord server by tagging @organizer.
How do I use Discord?
Since Discord is where we hold all communication, you should familiarize yourself with the platform. Visit this link to get a basic understanding of how Discord works!
Categories
This year’s hackathon theme is centered around Innovation in Technology!
Best Overall
The Best Overall category represents the pinnacle of achievement at our hackathon, where innovation, execution, and impact converge to recognize projects that are truly exceptional.
All projects submitted are automatically entered for the best overall category.
$100 & MSI G274CV Monitor / member
Best Innovative Technology – Theme Category
Your mission is to identify, develop, and present an innovative technology solution that pushes the boundaries of what is currently possible. Whether you’re delving into emerging technologies, reimagining existing paradigms, or building entirely new platforms, we encourage you to dream big and take calculated risks.
$100 / member
First Time Hack
This category is for beginner hackers. If this is your first hackathon, we encourage you to participate in this category!
You can submit anything to this prize category as long at least two members on your team is a first-time hacker.
$100 / member
Crowd Favorite
This category is designed to empower everyone involved in the hackathon, to have a say in recognizing outstanding projects.
All projects submitted are automatically entered for the Crowd Favorite category.
$100 / member
Microsoft – Sponsor Challenge
Use MRTK3 to build something you wish you would have learned in high school.
The winning teams get a 1:1 mentoring with a MSFT (Microsoft) engineer and some MSFT swag.
Opportunity for Mentorship & Swag
Miami Dolphins – Sponsor Challenge
The Dolphins challenges you to create something that solves an issue or improves/augments the fan experience of a sports club, team, or league (Ex: Miami Dolphins, NFL). Whether that be an application or device we want to see your creativity to develop something that is innovative and unique but also fun! We would also love to see your use of a sports API and creating something from the data. Please keep accessibility in mind when building your project.
The prize will be a surprise!!
UKG – Sponsor Challenge
Utilize any GenAI to enhance the well-being and/or work of Employees and Frontline Line Workers.
An exclusive chance for the winning team to visit UKG Weston Headquarters. Furthermore, the winning team will also be given the opportunity to interview for an upcoming Tech Star cohort, which is a UKG internship program within the esteemed Product Engineering Department!
$500 / member & Opportunity for Internship
Schedule
We will have workshops and events during the hackathon as well as prior to the hackathon! Our pre-hackathon workshops are hosted by inTech every week leading up to the hackathon. To learn more click here inTech!
Take a look at our schedule during the hackathon.
Note: The schedule is subject to change!
Hackathon Schedule
Note: Food will be served in Room 132!
Friday, October 13
12:00 PM – Check-in + Lunch
1:00 PM - Opening Ceremony
During the opening ceremony, PlutoHacks will be officially introduced and the prizes and categories will be announced!
2:00 PM – Hacking Starts!
3 PM - 6 PM Events
6:00 PM – Dinner
7 PM - 11 PM Events
11:45 PM – Midnight-ish Pizza
Saturday, October 14
12 AM - 7:30 AM Events
7:30 AM – Breakfast
11:30 AM – Lunch
1:30 PM - Eclipse Viewing
Glasses will be provided! Here is the live stream link from NASA!
2:00 PM - Submission Deadline
2:30 PM – Judging Presentation
4:00 PM – Deliberation Begins
4:30 PM – Closing Ceremony
Meet the Organizors!
PlutoHacks is organized by these wonderful individuals who put time, effort, and dedication in order to have our hackers shine!
“The purpose of an organization is to enable common men to do uncommon things” ~ Peter Drucker
Sponsors
All of the funding for our hackathon is thanks to the following sponsors!
About Submissions
All submissions must be original creations that were made during the timeframe of our event. You can not post any projects that were made prior to the hackathon. We do not allow cross submissions. We do check for this, so if you don’t follow these rules we will not consider your submission.
Our submission platform will happen through Devpost. We encourage you to create an account for the time being until we release our Devpost community for 2023.
You can use any technologies you would like to use for your project. There are no restrictions on the technologies, frameworks, or libraries you can use.
Submission requirements:
- Work must be entirely completed during the hackathon hours.
- You must submit a 3-minute (max) video demo!
- Maximum of four people per team.
- Each submission must include a GitHub repository link and/or a link to the prototype of the project (Figma, Adobe XD, etc..).
- Cross-submission (submitting the same project to multiple hackathons) is not allowed.
- All must comply with the rules and regulations listed in the Broward College student handbook.
- All must comply with the code of conduct listed in the Hacker’s Guide.
After you submit your projects online, all the teams will gather and present their projects to judges, and your fellow hackers!
Note: Presentations will be taking place in Building 22 (Institute of Public Safety), Room 136
Events | 2 PM – 6 PM
Below are our events that are happening during the hackathon from 2 PM to 6 PM EST. There are workshops, panels, challenges, and other events of all sorts happening during this time.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Team Formation Session | Room 105
Looking for teammates?? Stop by and meet some fellow hackers!
4:00 PM – 4:50 PM
AR/VR Demo | Room 105
Curious about the world of immersive technologies? Join this workshop to learn about extended reality and how you can contribute using the Unity engine!
Sponsor Fair | Main Hallway
Come here to network with our sponsors and partners!
5:00 PM – 5:50 PM
Figma Workshop | Room 105
The wonders of Figma–learn how to prototype for your projects!!!
Sponsor Fair | Main Hallway
Come here to network with our sponsors and partners!
Events | 7 PM – 11 PM
Below are our events that are happening during the hackathon from 7 PM to 11 PM EST. There are workshops, panels, challenges, and other events of all sorts happening during this time.
7:00 PM – 7:50 PM
Women in Tech Panel | Room 105
8:00 PM – 8:50 PM
How to Use APIs | Room 105
Got a specific thing you want your app to do? There might be an API that can take care of that for you! Learn about how you can integrate APIs in your project!
9:00 PM – 9:50 PM
Cybersecurity Panel | Room 105
To be announced…
10:00 PM – 10:50 PM
How to Present | Room 105
Learn how to present your projects from an industry professional!
Events | 12 AM – 7:30 AM
Below are our events that are happening during the hackathon from 12 AM to 7:30 AM EST. There are workshops, panels, challenges, and other events of all sorts happening during this time.
12:00 AM – 1:00 AM
● Cup Pong Challenge | Room 132
2:00 AM – 4:00 AM
● Karaoke Craze | Main Hallway
and
● Magic the Gathering | Room 132
4:00 AM – 5:00 AM
● Cup Stacking Challenge | Main Hallway
5:00 AM – 6:30 AM
Scavenger Hunt | Main Hallway
Get ready for an exciting scavenger hunt adventure where you’ll decode clues, solve puzzles, and race against time to find hidden treasures!
6:30 AM – 7:30 AM
Punch It Out | Outside - Back Entrance
Learn to defend yourself in real-life situations! The Martial Arts Center Drakulic will host a self-defense class based on the Chinese Kung Fu style Wing Tsun and give you a glimpse how Martial Arts improves your health, confidence, and character. When all diplomacy fails, have the confidence to stand your ground!