Welcome to RythmHacks 2025! 🚀
RythmHacks is a 24-hour high school hackathon focused on algorithms and innovation. Join us at The Accelerator Centre (295 Hagey Blvd, Waterloo, ON) for an unforgettable weekend of coding, learning, and fun!
Whether you're a coding veteran or just getting started, RythmHacks is your chance to learn new skills, build amazing projects, and connect with fellow tech enthusiasts!
What Makes RythmHacks Special?
🔢 Algorithm-Focused Theme: Algorithms are at the heart of everything we do in tech. At RythmHacks, we celebrate algorithmic thinking and problem-solving through our special prize tracks and workshops.
🎓 Learn & Grow: Attend workshops from industry leaders including Google AI Studio, University of Waterloo Quantum Computing, Microsoft Reactor, and more. Participate in 3+ workshops and get entered into our workshop raffle for cool prizes!
🏆 Amazing Prizes: Compete for keyboards, mice, wireless earbuds, and tons of sponsor prizes including NordVPN subscriptions, Wolfram licenses, CoCalc memberships, and more!
🎮 Fun Activities: Beyond coding, enjoy our Geoguessr Tournament, Karaoke night, and the legendary Spicy Ramen Challenge!
💼 Venture Opportunities: Winners of our Best Venture Track get an exclusive invitation to pitch at Maple Leaf Venture Club's AI Friends Meetup on November 27th!
📍 Venue: The Accelerator Centre, 295 Hagey Blvd, Waterloo, ON
Event Schedule
Saturday, October 25
- 8:30 AM – Arrival & check-in
- 9:00 AM – Opening ceremonies
- 10:00 AM – Hacking begins! 🚀
- 10:30 AM – Google AI Studio Session with Live Demo (Special Guest: Madusha Cooray)
- 11:30 AM – Waterloo Workshop: Quantum Principles
- 12:00 PM – Lunch 🍕
- 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Virtual VC support available (Maple Leaf Venture Club)
- 1:00 PM – CoCalc Workshop
- 2:00 PM – Microsoft Reactor Session
- 3:00 PM – Konfer Workshop: Networking 101
- 4:00 PM – ClassZoo Workshop: App Development Recommendation Algorithms
- 5:00 PM – Athena AI Contest: Build the Best Autopilot
- 6:00 PM – Dinner 🍔
- 7:00 PM – Geoguessr Tournament 🌍
- 8:00 PM – WebSockets Workshop
- 9:00 PM – Karaoke 🎤
- 10:00 PM – Snacks 🍿
- 11:00 PM – Spicy Ramen Challenge 🌶️
Sunday, October 26
- 7:30 AM – Breakfast 🥐
- 8:30 AM – Judging begins
- 10:30 AM – Judging ends
- 11:00 AM – Freezie break for participants 🧊
- 12:00 PM – Closing ceremonies & winner announcements! 🏆
- 1:00 PM – Event concludes
Mentorship opportunities available throughout the weekend! Our experienced mentors will be around to help you debug, brainstorm, and bring your ideas to life.
Requirements
What to Build:
Your project should demonstrate algorithmic thinking and innovation. This could be:
- A creative application of algorithms to solve a real-world problem
- An innovative use of AI/ML technologies
- A viable business idea with strong technical implementation
- Any project that showcases your coding skills and creativity!
Submission Checklist:
✅ Project must be built during the hackathon (October 25-26, 2025)
✅ Complete the Devpost submission form including:
- Project name and description
- Team members
- Technologies used
- Demo video (highly recommended!)
- GitHub repository link
- Select which prize track(s) you want to be considered for
✅ Your project should be functional - we value working demos over perfect designs
✅ Be ready to present your project to judges on Sunday morning
Prize Tracks:
You can compete for:
- Overall Prizes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- Best Use of Algorithms 🔢
- Most Creative Use of AI and ML 🤖
- Best Venture Track 💼
Select your preferred prize tracks when you submit your project!
Prizes
1st Place Overall
Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse for each team member, plus sponsor prizes including: NordVPN/NordSec 1-year subscriptions, nexos.ai 3-month access (€200 limit), CleanShot X licenses, Wolfram One 1-year licenses, CoCalc 1-year Academic licenses, CodeCrafters 2-year VIP memberships, and Interview Buddy vouchers.
2nd Place Overall
Wireless noise-cancelling earbuds for each team member, plus sponsor prizes including: CleanShot X licenses, Wolfram One 1-year licenses, CoCalc 6-month Academic licenses, CodeCrafters 1-year VIP memberships, and Interview Buddy vouchers.
3rd Place Overall
Logitech Wireless Silent Ambidextrous Mouse for each team member, plus sponsor prizes including: AoPS $25 coupons, CleanShot X licenses, Wolfram One 1-year licenses, CoCalc 3-month Academic licenses, and CodeCrafters 6-month VIP memberships.
Best Use of Algorithms
JLab Audio Studio On-Ear Wired Headphones for each team member, plus sponsor prizes including: CleanShot X licenses, 3D Printing Canada coupon codes (10% off), Wolfram One 1-year licenses, and CoCalc 3-month Academic licenses.
Most Creative Use of AI and ML
Bluetooth Mini Rugged Speaker for each team member, plus sponsor prizes including: AoPS $25 coupons (4 total), CleanShot X licenses, 3D Printing Canada coupon codes (10% off), Wolfram One 1-year licenses, and CoCalc 3-month Academic licenses.
Best Venture Track
onn. Slim Power Bank for each team member, plus sponsor prizes including: CleanShot X licenses, Wolfram One 1-year licenses, CoCalc 3-month Academic licenses, and an exclusive invitation to pitch at Maple Leaf Venture Club's AI Friends Meetup & Demo Event on November 27th at Next Canada!
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Nima Pourjafar
Maleeha Mirza
Aadi Kulshrestha
Satyam Singh
Anoop Krishnan
Krish Garg
Judging Criteria
-
Algorithmic Innovation & Implementation
How effectively does the project demonstrate algorithmic thinking? Is the algorithm creative, efficient, or novel? Does it solve a complex problem in an elegant way? -
Technical Complexity & Execution
How technically impressive is the project? Does it work as intended? Is the code well-structured and functional? -
Creativity & Originality
How innovative is the idea? Does it offer a fresh perspective or unique approach to solving a problem? -
Impact & Usefulness
How practical and impactful is the solution? Does it address a real problem? Could it benefit users in meaningful ways? -
Presentation & Demo Quality
How well is the project presented? Is the demo clear and compelling? Can the team effectively explain their work and its value? -
Prize Track Alignment (for special prize tracks)
How well does the project align with the specific prize track requirements? (Best Use of Algorithms, Most Creative Use of AI/ML, Best Venture Track)
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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