● NonprofitFree hackathons every seasonOnline, worldwide
Refactor the world.
Every season we pick a theme, and students anywhere get a build window to make something that fixes a real problem. Entry is free and AI tools are allowed.
4 hackathons a year. One every season, each with a new theme.
- $0 entry fee
- online, worldwide
- beginners welcome
- AI allowed
How a hackathon works
Every hackathon is one branch.
A theme goes out at the start of each season. You branch off, build, and merge back with a working demo. Judges pick the winners, and the next theme drops.
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Theme drops main
The season's theme, rules and prizes go up on Devpost.
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git checkout -b your-team
Register on your own or with a team.
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Pick a problem
Something real inside the theme: your school, your town, someone you know.
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Build the fix
Any language, any framework, any tools. AI is allowed from brainstorming to the final commit.
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Record the demo
A 2–4 minute video of the project actually working.
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Merge: submit
Code, a short write-up, screenshots and the video.
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Winners announced tag
Judges score every project against that hackathon's rubric, published when the theme drops.
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Next theme drops
What gets built
- Social impact
- Education
- Accessibility
- AI that does real work
- Productivity
- Automation
- Data & analytics
- Hardware & IoT
- Design & UX
- Something nobody has tried yet
Typical award categories. Projects can be websites, mobile apps, AI tools, games, hardware or anything else that works.
Students
Bring a problem. Leave with a project.
Enter any season, from anywhere, for free. You don't need experience, a team or a plan yet. Pick something you care about and build the fix with whatever tools help.
See upcoming hackathonsSponsors
Put your name on a season.
Each hackathon is a chance to back work that helps people. Fund prizes, donate API credits, or send engineers to judge and mentor. You'll meet students who ship.
Sponsor a hackathonFAQ
Questions
- Who can enter?
- Students. Each hackathon's Devpost page lists the exact eligibility rules, so check those before you register.
- What does it cost?
- Nothing. Every hackathon is free to enter.
- I've never coded. Can I still enter?
- Yes. Plenty of people ship their first project at a hackathon, and you can use AI tools to help you learn as you go.
- Can I use AI?
- Yes, at every step. The strongest projects use AI to do real work for the people using them.
- Do I need a team?
- No. Enter on your own or with a team.
- How do I sponsor a hackathon?
- Start on the sponsor page, which lists the ways companies and organizations can help, or email us at refactortheworld@gmail.com.
$ git checkout -b your-fix