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2022 Hacker Guide

Hello Hacker! We are thrilled to have you part of our hackathon this year. We’ve prepared this guide for you to help navigate what the event is going to look like for the weekend.

The hackathon will take place at Broward College Central Campus in Building 13. You can copy the address below:



 Be sure to visit this page regularly, as we will be making updates frequently as we get closer to the event!

Hackathon Schedule

Friday, October 21

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!

Below is a recording for the Opening Ceremony:

https://broward-edu.zoom.us/rec/share/MEIDMwgKATUyr3O1xc4YphQT7xBIaM_eTSNSeKd1BvCCvZeTWTFO1aojxtvGT7gk.VDF2cyTp60V9xvC9

2:00 PM – Hacking Starts!
3 PM - 6 PM Events
6:00 PM – Dinner
7 PM - 12 AM Events
10:30 PM – Midnight-ish Pizza

Saturday, October 22

12 AM - 9 AM Events
7:30 AM – Breakfast
11:30 AM – Lunch
2:00 PM - Submission Deadline
2:30 PM – Judging Begins
3:30 PM – Deliberation Begins
4:30 PM – Closing Ceremony

How to Prepare

We recommend joining our Discord server to get the latest updates on what is happening throughout the hackathon. This is also a great way to be introduced to other hackers and with others in your community!

Join Discord

You are not required to do anything else to prepare, but we recommend taking a look at the resources we have to offer. Our pre-hackathon workshops have already passed, but you can find all of the recordings + resources for every workshop in the resources or in the 2022 highlights page.

To save time during the hackathon, we also recommend creating a Github account and a Devpost account.

Teams

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.

All hackathon teams look different. You can be a programmer, a graphic expert, or even just someone with an idea! Not everyone has to know how to code.

How to Get Help

If you need help with anything, feel free to reach out to an @organizer in the Discord server, or find someone in person that is wearing a pink organizer name tag.

We will also have mentors present in person and virtually, who will do their best to assist you with any obstacles you are experiencing with your projects.

Categories

Best Overall – Humanitarian

A hackathon category dedicated to helping others. Your solution to humanitarian efforts can be scoped to something global or local. You can think big— such as finding a solution to solve hunger— or you can think small— such as a solution for your elderly neighbor’s daily tasks.

$200 / member

Accessibility

There are many people who struggle with everyday tasks because their disabilities prevent them to, and the world we live in is not very accessible to them. What can you create to help increase access to those with disabilities?

$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 as long you or one member on your team is a first-time hacker.

$100 / member

Best “Useless” Hack

Have you ever come up with an idea that is fun, but not necessarily useful or convenient to anyone? Participate in creating the best “useless” hack! You can create something silly, create something for creation’s sake, or over-engineer something! Sometimes laughter is the best we can do for humanity!

$100 / member

Echo3D – Sponsor Challenge

$100 Amazon Gift card is awarded to the team with the best use of Echo3D. Use your imagination and come up with something creative!

$100 Amazon Gift card for the team

Microsoft – Sponsor Challenge

Use MRTK3 to build something you wish you would have learned in high school. 

The winning team will be invited to an opportunity to showcase their work in December to a community of educators with Microsoft!

 Opportunity to showcase work

Miami Dolphins – Sponsor Challenge

The accessibility factor of websites and applications is something that is commonly overlooked. Does your submission stand up to the WCAG accessibility standards?

 Tickets to a Miami Dolphins game + swag

How to Submit Your Project

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 2022.

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:

  • GitHub link (if applicable)
  • Demo video (no longer than 3 minutes)
  • Devpost submission

After you submit your projects online, all the teams will gather and present their projects to judges. It will be similar to the format of a Science Fair, where you will present your project more than once to different judges that pass by.

Note: If you are a Broward College Satellite student, your submission process might be a little different. We will provide you with instructions as the days follow!

Code of Conduct

  1. Treat everyone with respect. Absolutely no harassment, witch hunting, sexism, racism or hate speech will be tolerated.
  2. No age-restricted or obscene content. This includes text, images, or links featuring nudity, sex, violence, or other graphically disturbing content.
  3. If you see something against the rules or something that makes you feel unsafe, let staff know. We want the hackathon to be a welcoming space!
  4. No spam or self-promotion without permission from a staff member. This includes DMing fellow members.
  5. Mind your language!
  6. All must comply with the rules and regulations listed in the Broward College student handbook.

Resources

Pre-Hackathon Workshop Resources & Recordings

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 21 to October 22, 2022. This hackathon is open to all students in the United States, but in-person participation is required. Our opening ceremony, workshops, events, and closing ceremony will also be live on Zoom and recorded.

We will not be accepting any submissions from those not participating in person unless you are a Broward College satellite student. Our time zone is Eastern Standard Time (EST). 

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?

Last year we had over 300 hackers during our virtual hackathon, so we can’t wait to see you and your project this year in person!

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 laptops. 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 toiletries, 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. We will only be shipping the swag packages if you are a Broward College satellite student.

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. We are also admitting Broward College satellite students. 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 winning submissions on this page. You can also see all of the submissions in the 2021 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!

Digital Swag