1. Eligibility & Teams

  • Team Size: Teams must consist of 1 to 4 participants.

  • In-Person Requirement: This is a strictly in-person event at The Spark, WSU Pullman. At least one team member must be present to demo the project during judging.

2. Project Requirements & AI Policy

  • Fresh Code: All projects must be built during the 24-hour hacking period. Repurposing existing personal projects is prohibited.

  • AI Tools Allowed: The use of Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Claude, Midjourney) is fully permitted and encouraged as a tool for brainstorming, debugging, and asset generation.

  • The "Human in the Loop" Rule: While you can use AI to assist you, the core value and integration of the project must be your own. During judging, teams should be prepared to explain their code, the logic behind their implementation, and how they utilized AI tools.

  • Attribution: If a significant portion of your code or assets was generated by AI, we recommend noting it in your Devpost description (e.g., "UI assets generated via Midjourney").

  • Submissions: Projects must be submitted via Devpost by Sunday at 10:30 AM. You must include a link to a public repository (e.g., GitHub).

3. Judging & Prizes

  • Judging Criteria: Innovation, Technical Complexity, UI/UX Design, and Utility.

  • Science Fair: Judging will be conducted in a "Science Fair" format. Teams must stay at their designated table to present.

4. Academic Integrity & Conduct

  • Originality: Plagiarism of other hackers' work or "hard-coding" results to fake functionality is strictly prohibited.

  • Behavior: We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.

  • Property: Respect The Spark. Any destruction of WSU property will result in immediate expulsion.

🛡️ Code of Conduct

All participants agree to abide by the MLH Code of Conduct.

Need Help? If you see a problem, report it immediately to an Organizer (#ask-organizers) or an MLH Coach (#ask-mlh) on Discord.