COMPTON TECH WEEK HACKATHON CHALLENGE

At the Compton Tech Week Hackathon, we believe the best technology starts with real people, real neighborhoods, and real challenges. This is your chance to build something that creates meaningful social change by starting with the community around you.

We are calling on hackers, designers, engineers, founders, and problem-solvers to create solutions that strengthen Compton through one of three impact tracks:

How can technology help remove barriers and expand opportunity for people with disadvantages in our community? Build solutions that improve access to essential resources, services, support systems, mobility, safety, or economic opportunity.

How can we use technology to help our community learn and grow? Create tools that expand access to education, information, digital skills, workforce knowledge, civic participation, or public awareness.

How can we make Compton more sustainable and resilient? Build solutions that help protect the environment through cleaner systems, greener neighborhoods, environmental justice, conservation, or climate action.

This hackathon is about empowering hackers to create social change by starting with their neighborhoods. We want to see bold ideas with local impact — projects that respond to real needs in Compton and help move the community forward.

• Teams can include up to 4 participants
• Projects must be submitted by 9:00 AM PT on April 24, 2026
• To be eligible for Demo, submissions must be completed by the deadline
• Eligible teams will Demo from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM PT

Build a project that helps the disadvantaged, educates the community, or protects the environment — and show us how innovation can empower Compton from the ground up.

Start with your neighborhood. Build for Compton.

The purpose of this hackathon is to build solutions that empower the community in the City of Compton.

The three hackathon tracks include: 

TRACK 1: helping the disadvantaged

TRACK 2: educating the community 

TRACK 3: protecting the environment 

Students must submit their projects to Devpost by 9:00am PT on Friday April 24th, 2026 to qualify to demo their projects to the judges. 

• Impact Potential - 25%
  How meaningful is the problem being addressed, and how strong is the project’s potential to create real benefit in Los Angeles? Judges will look for solutions that clearly identify a digital divide challenge.
• Design Thesis - 25%
  How clear and compelling is the team’s core idea and reasoning behind the solution? Judges want to see that the project is built on a thoughtful point of view.
• Process Plan - 15%
  How well has the team thought through implementation, execution, and next steps? Judges will consider whether the team has a realistic plan for how the project could be tested, improved, launched, or expanded beyond the hackathon.
• Technical Implementation - 15%
  How effectively did the team build and demonstrate the prototype? Judges are not only evaluating technical complexity, but also whether the prototype works, communicates the concept clearly, and supports the intended user experience.
• Passion Pitch - 20%
  How well does the team communicate their vision, energy, and commitment during the presentation? Judges will look for a clear, confident, and persuasive pitch that explains the problem, the solution, why it matters, and why this team cares.