Name: OurPlanet.Rocks
Start: 2026-08-07T00:00:00.000-04:00
End: 2026-08-10T11:45:00.000-04:00
Location: OurPlanet.Rocks

Important Info

View this website for the most up-to-date information: www.ourplanet.rocks

View this website to sign up for events during the hackathon: https://luma.com/ourplanet.rocks

Submissions will NOT be handled through Devpost. You will have until August 10th, Noon EDT to submit via this Google Form: https://forms.gle/VA4rpcPkMFDnDibc8

You are required to sign up for 3, but you can reach out to g.consigli@ourplanet.rocks if there are issues with that.

Devpost submissions will not be reviewed. You will get a Google Form Link via our WhatsApp community to submit your solution. You must fill out this form during Devpost registration to be officially registered and get WhatsApp access: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9So1S-cj_93T--9MIt6fO5l4Cp7vl6MvVP3graqUGuE46Bw/viewform

All Solutions Must Be Created During the Hackathon. We Will Not Accept Solutions Submitted to Other Hackathons.

Judging Criteria & Rubric: https://ourplanet.rocks/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Judging-Final-Version.pdf

OurPlanet.Rocks is a three-day virtual hackathon focused on giving high schoolers and university students the opportunity to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. The idea came about when co-hosts Griffin, Jiaxi, and Salma realized that there was no existing hackathon tailored to students who aren’t just software engineers, but still want to have an impact on the world.

Our hackathon was created to bridge that gap. Whether you want to write code, create a campaign, or design a world-changing enterprise, we give you the launchpad to start right now.

OurPlanet.Rocks’ Three-Day Hackathon Schedule

This three-day event from August 7th to 9th is designed to take you from a blank canvas to a validated tech prototype or a launch-ready organizational blueprint. Here is what the weekend looks like:

Day 1: Inspire, Ideate & Form

Kickoff & Keynote: Get inspired by climate scientists, entrepreneurs, and non-profit founders.
Team Formation: Connect with fellow high schoolers to build a balanced team of coders, designers, and business strategists.
Problem Scoping: Learn how to analyze global environmental issues and narrow them down into viable business or tech solutions.

Day 2: Build, Model & Validate

The Sprint Begins: Dive deep into coding your software, designing your app, or building your organizational business model.
Skill-Building Workshops: Attend rapid-fire sessions on rapid prototyping, UI/UX design, and Business Model Canvas fundamentals.
Market Validation: Learn how to survey target audiences and prove there is a genuine need for your organizational idea or product.

Day 3: Pitch, Protect & Launch

Final Submissions: Wrap up your code, pitch decks, and project video demonstrations.
Judging Panels: Your submissions will be judged over a week.
Next Steps: Gain access to exclusive post-hackathon resources and funding to launch your project.

Why Should You Join OurPlanet.Rocks?

It's 100% Free & Virtual: Open to high school students worldwide.
No Coding Experience Required: Choose between our technical tracks or our business/organizational development tracks.
Prizes & Funding: Win cool prizes or get the help you need to launch your project.

Requirements

IMPORTANT: We will be using WhatsApp for all event communications. After you sign up, you should see an email about joining the WhatsApp group for updates. We will not be using Devpost for submissions; those submissions will not be reviewed. All submissions must be original and made in the timeframe of the hackathon.

OurPlanet.Rocks Official Hackathon Rules & Guidelines

Welcome to OurPlanet.Rocks! Please read these rules carefully before registering or submitting your project. By participating, you agree to abide by these guidelines to ensure a fair, safe, and impactful competition.

Dates & Timeline

Hackathon Start: August 7th
Submission Deadline: August 9th (Check the Devpost countdown clock for your local time zone)
Winners Announced: Friday, August 14th

Eligibility

Academic Status: Open to all current high school students and undergraduate college/university students worldwide.
Team Size: You may participate individually or in teams of up to 4 people. Teams can be a mix of high school and college students.
Skill Level: All experience levels are welcome. You do not need to know how to code to participate; we have dedicated tracks for non-technical projects.

Project & Submission Requirements

To be eligible for judging and prizes, your team must submit the following before the deadline:

Project Description: A clear summary of the problem you are solving and how your solution addresses it.
Track Selection: You must specify whether you are entering the Technical Track (software/apps) or the Organizational Track (campaigns, business models, or non-profit blueprints).
Project Assets:

For Technical Track: A pitch deck. A link to a working prototype, GitHub repository, or clickable design mockup.
For Organizational Tracks: A pitch deck. Business Model Canvas/structured organizational blueprint.

Video Demonstration: A 2-to-3 minute video (hosted on YouTube or Vimeo) demonstrating your project, explaining how it works, and introducing your team.

New vs. Existing Work

All projects must be created during the three days of the hackathon (August 7th–9th).
You may use open-source libraries, templates, and publicly available APIs, but the core concept and implementation must be built during the event. Pre-existing completed projects are not eligible.

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated by our panel of climate scientists, tech leaders, and entrepreneurs based on the following equally weighted criteria:

Innovation/Impact
Feasibility/Execution
SDG Alignment
Scalability
Presentation Quality
Creative AI Use

The rubric was sent in the WhatsApp community and to people who signed up using the Google Form, but you can email g.consigli@ourplanet.rocks if you need it.

Code of Conduct & Fairness

Be Respectful: Harassment, bullying, or discriminatory language of any kind will result in immediate disqualification.
Originality & Intellectual Property: Plagiarism or presenting someone else's work as your own will result in automatic disqualification. You retain full ownership of the intellectual property you create during the hackathon.
Single Submission: Teams may only submit one project to the hackathon.

Disqualification & Rule Interpretation

The organizing team reserves the right to disqualify any submission that does not meet the eligibility or submission requirements (e.g., if you did not submit using the Google Form on WhatsApp published August 9th, 9 AM EDT).
Rules will be applied consistently to all participants. If you have any questions or need clarification regarding the rules during the event, please post them directly in the Devpost Discussion forum, so all participants can benefit from the answer.

Disclaimer: These rules are subject to change only under exceptional circumstances. Any official updates will be communicated directly to all registered participants via Devpost.