About the challenge

Excited about coding? Looking for a challenge?

ColorStackBU is hosting its second annual CodeFest, and we want YOU to be part of it!

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced programmer, CodeFest is your chance to learn, collaborate, and compete in a fun, welcoming environment.

📌Key Info

📍 Location: Binghamton University, Classroom Wing (3rd Floor)

📆 Date: October 11th (11:00am–11:00pm) & October 12th (11:00am–5:00pm)

⏳ Registration Deadline: Day 1 of CodeFest, Saturday October 11th @12:30pm

🚀 What to expect:

💻 Challenging coding problems to test and grow your skills

🤝 Networking and team building with fellow students and sponsors

🏆 Prizes, workshops, and professional development opportunities

☀️ Our theme is Social Good, which includes:

🌲Environmental Sustainability

❣️Health/Personal Improvement

🎒Education

📱 Media

💭 Open/ended

🏆Prize Categorizes:

Best Overall Hack - $150

Most Impressive Code (Backend Focused) - $100

Best Design (Frontend Focused) - $100

Best Newbie Hack (Beginner only teams) - $100

🧩 Qualifications:  

Open to Everyone: All majors, skill levels, and backgrounds are welcome — whether you’re a CS major, a designer, or just curious about tech

No Experience Needed: Beginners will find plenty of workshops, mentors, and teammates to help them get started

Non-Binghamton Students Welcome: You do not have to be a Binghamton student to participate — friends from other schools, alumni, and community members are encouraged to join

Bring Your Tools: A laptop is required for participation. Bringing chargers, headphones, and any additional hardware you’d like to hack with is encouraged

📜 Rules & Regulations:

More information will be available in the Rule Book available in our discord

Teams can consist of 1-5 people 

Teams must be finalized by Saturday October 11th at 12:30pm 

All participants must check in on the first day and be present at the closing ceremony to qualify for prizes and recognition.

👉 Stay Connected

Join our Discord for updates regarding CodeFest & the Rule Book!  

 https://discord.gg/57MfzRfVZ6 ;

View our LinkTree to become a ColorStack member where you gain access to our resume book and many more opportunities!

https://linktr.ee/colorstackbu?utm_source=qr_code

• Relevance to Theme (Social Good) – 25%
  Does the project address one of the subthemes (environmental sustainability, health/personal improvement, education, media)? Is the project’s potential social impact clear and meaningful?
• Innovation & Creativity – 20%
  Does the project present a novel idea or a creative twist on existing solutions? Is it unique compared to other submissions?
• Technical Implementation (Code Quality) – 20%
  Functionality: Does it work as intended? Code quality: Is the code efficient, clean, and well-documented? Technical difficulty: Did the team tackle challenging problems?
• Design & User Experience – 15%
  Is the interface intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly? Is there visual polish and consistency?
• Presentation & Communication – 10%
  Clarity of pitch/demo: Can the team explain the purpose, impact, and functionality effectively? Storytelling: Does the presentation make judges care about the problem and solution?
• Feasibility & Scalability – 10%
  Could this project realistically be deployed or scaled? Does it have long-term potential beyond the hackathon?