CodePi Innovation Challenge!

To all who are interested in PARTICIPATING or JUDGING, please join the Discord Server at https://discord.gg/Cc3EAq3wFp for further information and announcements.

Also, feel free to claim your NordVPN participation prize here and your NordPass participation prize here!

Welcome to the CodePi Innovation Challenge, a hackathon organized by students, for students! Here, innovation meets STEM through the art of coding. This challenge is your chance to combine creativity, problem-solving, and technology to craft unique projects that bring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts to life. Whether you're an experienced coder or just starting your journey, we’re here to inspire you to build something amazing that makes STEM fun, engaging, and impactful.

This challenge is all about using coding to spark curiosity and make math exciting and engaging. You might create an educational app that helps students master fractions and decimals, a fun game that teaches basic algebra concepts, an interactive website that visualizes geometric shapes, or a prototype that turns math word problems into puzzles. Whatever your idea, we want to see how you can use the power of programming to simplify math, encourage exploration, and make learning enjoyable for middle schoolers.

At the CodePi Innovation Challenge, we celebrate fresh ideas, technical skills, and the drive to innovate. Whether you're crafting low-code prototypes or developing fully functional applications, this is your opportunity to showcase your creativity and passion for STEM. Together, let’s redefine how coding and STEM can come together to make learning more interactive, inspiring, and impactful for the future generation of innovators.

To check out past winners, look at our website here!

Requirements

What to Build

Participants can create projects in one of two divisions:

Ideathon Division:
Perfect for beginners or those with minimal coding experience!

Build creative, low-code, or no-code projects like mockups, prototypes, or designs.
Use tools like Figma, Canva, or Scratch to visually showcase your idea.
Focus on crafting innovative ideas that connect coding with STEM concepts.

Hackathon Division:
Designed for experienced coders and developers!

Build fully functional apps, games, or websites that explore STEM concepts using coding.
Use programming languages or tools like Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, or Scratch.
Ensure your project demonstrates how coding enhances STEM learning or solves STEM-related problems.

What to Submit

Project Description:
- A brief write-up explaining what your project does and how it works.
- Clearly specify whether your project is for the Ideathon or Hackathon division.
Code Repository (Hackathon Division Only):
- Include a link to your source code (e.g., GitHub repository).
Video Submission:
- Submit a video no longer than 5 minutes.
- Your video should explain:
  - What your project is about.
  - How it works.
  - How it connects coding with STEM concepts.
  - Any unique or creative features you’ve added.
Prototype or Design Files (Ideathon Division Only):
- Share links or attachments for mockups, designs, or prototypes created with tools like Figma or Canva.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$19,226 in prizes

Hackathon - 1st Place

$606 in cash

1 winner

Everything in Hackathon - Top 2 ($486)...
+ 12 .xyz domains ($120)

Ideathon - 1st Place

$509 in cash

1 winner

Everything in Ideathon - Top 2 ($407)...
+ 10 .xyz domains ($100)

Hackathon - Top 2

$486 in cash

2 winners

Everything in Hackathon - Top 5 ($411)...
+ 5 .xyz domains ($50)
+ 1 AoPS Coupon ($25)

Ideathon - Top 2

$407 in cash

2 winners

Everything in Ideathon - Top 5 ($338)...
+ 5 .xyz domains ($50)
+ 1 AoPS Coupon ($25)

Hackathon - Top 5

$411 in cash

5 winners

Everything in Hackathon - Top 10 ($308)...
+ 10 .xyz domains ($100)

Ideathon - Top 5

$338 in cash

5 winners

Everything in Ideathon - Top 10 ($222)...
+ 8 .xyz domains ($80)
+ 1 Year of 1Password ($36)

Hackathon - Top 10

$308 in cash

10 winners

Everything in Ideathon - Top 20 ($182)...
+ 4 .xyz domains ($40)
+ 1 7-Day Full Access License ($50)
+ 1 Year of 1Password ($36)

Ideathon - Top 10

$222 in cash

10 winners

Everything in Ideathon - Top 20 ($182)...
+ 4 .xyz domains ($40)

Hackathon - Top 20

$182 in cash

20 winners

8 .xyz domains ($80)
NordPass offer ($25.98)
NordVPN offer ($25.98)
Interview Cake 7-Day Full Access License ($50)

Ideathon - Top 20

$182 in cash

20 winners

8 .xyz domains ($80)
NordPass offer ($25.98)
NordVPN offer ($25.98)
Interview Cake 7-Day Full Access License ($50)

Judges

CodePi Team
Organization

Ramya Ramachandran
IT Development Manager, HNI Corporation

Rafa Martínez-Avial
Software Development Engineer, Amazon.com, Inc.

Nithin Prasad
Associate Director - Engineering , GEP Worldwide

Nasywa Ramadhani
Researcher, Up Next Scientists

Siri Varma Vegiraju
Software Development Engineer @ Azure

Gokul Ramakrishnan
Full Stack Software Engineer

Balaji Chinnu
Telecom QA Expert

Bhanuprakash Madupati
Senior Member IEEE, Sigma Xi Full Member

Rohan Viswanatha Prasad
Enterprise Architect, Coinme LLC

Arjun Bali
Senior Data Scientist @ Rocket Mortgage

Balachandar Ramalingam
PLM Manager- DBP, HNI Corporation

Milankumar Rana
Software Engineer Advisor, FedEx

Aditi Madhusudan Jain
Amazon SDE

Surya Teja Avirneni
Distinguished Engineer, Capital One

Hrishikesh Tawade
Tech Lead, Robotics & Vision, Ample Inc.

Sarvesh Peddi
Test Automation Architect

Archita Sajjan
Technical Product Manager, Visa Inc.

Saket Chaudhari
Principal Software Engineer/Architect, TriNet Inc.

Mayank Vadaliya
Application support engineer, Tesla Inc.

Rohan Paliwal
Manager, Product Management at Western Union

Jay Nankani
Software Developer, Redfin

Jixiao Yang
Software Development Engineer II@AWS

Satwik Reddy Jambula
Sr. Application Developer, UBER

Mrunal Gangrade
Lead Software Engineer, JP Morgan

Raghava Chellu
Support Engineer - Specialist, Equifax Inc.

Sushant Mehta
Senior Research Engineer, Google DeepMind

Venkatesh Muniyandi
Technical Architect, Pluralsight Author

Amish Gadhia
UI/UX Designer, CIVIE (Collaborative Imaging Technology)

Naga Murali Krishna Koneru
Technical Architect, Hexaware Technologies Inc.

Akshat Joshi
Security Engineer & AI Security Researcher, Amazon

Aditya Gupta
Software Engineer, AWS

Neelabh Tripathi
Engineering Architect, Cisco

Thantham (Judge) Madan
Software Engineer, Tech Lead | Verkada

Venkata Madhu Prateek Reddy Kambala
Senior DevOps Engineer | MSR Technology Group

Hitesh Laxmichand Patel
Senior Applied Scientist(Tech Lead) | Oracle

Sreekanth Narayan
Principal - Package Implementation SAP | LTIMindtree LTD

Bhakti Mahato
Sr. Product Manager | Amazon

Ravi Jaiswal
Senior Systems Analyst, ERP Consultant | Assa Abloy

Sunil Kumar Suvvari
Agil Delivery Lead | Bank of America

Krishna Ganeriwal
Senior Software Engineer | Meta Platforms Inc.

Praneetha Kotla
Lead RPA Developer, ERP Smartlabs

Saumya Dixit
Senior Software Engineer at 33Across

Dishu Yang
Software Engineer, Meta

Judging Criteria

Creativity and Innovation (25%)
How unique and original is the idea? Does the project creatively integrate coding with STEM concepts? Is the approach fresh and exciting for middle schoolers?
STEM Integration (25%)
How well does the project align with STEM principles (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math)? Does the project demonstrate a clear connection between coding and STEM topics? Is it effective in teaching or exploring STEM concepts?
Feasibility and Clarity (20%) (Ideathon Division only) / Technical Execution (20%) (Hackathon Division only)
IDEATHON: Is the proposed project realistic and achievable? Does the submission clearly show how the idea can be implemented? HACKATHON: Is the project functional and well-built? Is the code clean, efficient, and well-documented?
Presentation and Communication (20%)
How clear and engaging is the video submission? Does it explain the purpose, functionality, and STEM connection of the project well? Is the project visually appealing and easy to understand?
Impact and Usability (10%)
How practical or impactful is the project for its intended audience? Can it be used by middle schoolers to learn STEM concepts easily? Does it have potential for further development or scalability?