RockCity Hacks

A hackathon is a 24-hour technology-focused event in which a team of students get together and create a “hack” to a use case. A hack could be anything… a website, an app, a robot, or any other invention. During the event students learn, build, and share their creations, while getting to network and socialize with other students.

Any student in grades 9-12 can attend this event. No experience required! A hackathon is not limited to coders and computer scientists: anyone with a passion to learn is welcome. We encourage students of all academic backgrounds to participate. Each team must have at least one adult chaperone.

More details coming soon...

The minimum number of people per team is 2 and the maximum is 4. Each team must have at least one adult chaperone. If you are coming to the hackathon without a team, we will have time for you to find a group. If your team is too large, we require that you split your team.

Teams of up to 4 people are highly encouraged, though not mandatory. If you don't have a team beforehand, it is a good idea to join our Slack channel. In addition to all the important announcements and information about the event, you'll be able to find others to guide you through the hackathon process and hopefully help you develop something awesome. A link to join the Slack channel will be emailed to the email address you provided on the registration form.

Of course! There will be awards for each individual in a team (a max of 4 people). We hope to emphasize learning and collaboration more so than competition - nonetheless, there will be awesome awards to be won for some the most interesting hacks made during the event.

Yes, it is possible, but unlikely. We recommend focusing on a single category to increase the likelihood of winning an award.

Of course not! We welcome hackers of all experience levels. We will have some workshops to help you get started coding, and not everyone has to work on the software aspect of a product. Every product has many different aspects to it, and coding is just one. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to code, you can ask any of our staff, and they will be willing to help!

We will be providing you with food for the two days (Lunch and Supper on Day 1, and Breakfast and Lunch on Day 2). There will also be snacks and drinks for you to enjoy throughout the hackathon. There will be a room for you to sleep in at night as well.

Electrical outlets will be available throughout the venue for all your charging needs. We will have a limited number of laptops available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

If you wish to participate, you should bring your own laptop, a sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, necessary chargers, and a change of clothes. You may also bring your own phone. If you plan on using hardware in your hack, bring whatever you need.

RockCity Hacks is a completely free event! Participants receive free food, swag, awards and more!

Please see the RCH Code of Conduct.

Yes, all participants must stay overnight at the event. Make sure to pack a sleeping bag!

Yes, you can sleep. We will have sleeping rooms available for you to catch some Z’s. We recommend you bring a sleeping bag.

Yes, Each team must have at least one adult chaperone and there will be faculty and staff from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture on site and many parent volunteers supervising the kids. We will have a nurse on site during the event.

We'll handle the food for the event, so no need to bring any money for meals.

We want participants to be comfortable. The dress code for the hackathon is casual, and moderation in type and style of clothing should be the basic standard. The following clothing items are not permitted:

• Any backless dress, top, or cutoff shirts that expose any part of the midriff or back.
• Clothing with revealing necklines.
• Mesh type or see-through shirts.
• Visible undergarments.
• Clothing with inappropriate or unsuitable graphics or slogans (vulgarities or obscenities and/or drug, tobacco or alcohol advertisements).

We recommend that you bring a change of clothes with you for the 24-hour period, along with basic hygiene products.

Don’t worry about this, we will do our best to accommodate any dietary restrictions. Be sure to include any dietary restrictions when you complete the registration form.

Check back soon for registration.Each participant will need to register individually.