FireBird Hacks
FireBird Hacks is Arcadia’s first-ever hackathon, open to students and young innovators in our community. It’s a 12-hour event of learning, building, and having fun with no prior experience required. A hackathon is an event where people come together to create projects in a short amount of time, and despite the name, it doesn’t involve hacking into anything! Over the course of the day, participants design and build original projects from scratch, learning new skills while putting their creativity to the test. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced coder, you’ll have access to mentors and resources to help bring your ideas to life. Participants can join individually or in teams, encouraging collaboration, problem-solving, and peer learning.
At the end of the event, participants pitch their projects to judges, with prizes awarded based on creativity, innovation, how well each project aligns with its chosen track, and how clearly ideas are presented and demonstrated. Beyond the competition, FireBird Hacks is a chance to network with peers, gain hands-on experience, and showcase your skills in a supportive environment. We hope you’ll join us for this exciting day of learning, building, and fun!
Sponsors
Any middle or high school student ages 13-18 with an interest in tech! No prior coding experience is required because we are here to help you learn.
To join Firebird Hacks, you and a parent must sign the Liability Release and Medical Authorization forms. You can do this digitally by downloading the PDFs and using an editor like Kami. On the liability form, please ensure the event is listed as Firebird Hacks, the date as May 9th, 2026, and the location as Arcadia High School. Upload your signed copies to the registration form to finish your sign-up, as these are required for entry on the day of the event.
You can participate either as part of a team or individually.
Participants will have time to connect and form teams during the event.
Yes, teams can have up to 4 members maximum.
For Accomack County students, Yes, you will be able to log in to the school Wi-Fi as usual.
For visiting students outside the county, You will not be able to join the school Wi-Fi. If you're using a school-issued Chromebook from your district, please check with your school's IT beforehand. We strongly recommend bringing your own device and a personal Wi-Fi/Hotspot for internet access.
Snacks and drinks will be provided; breakfast and lunch is included for registered participants.
Bring your laptop, charger, and any materials you may need for your project.
Yes! We encourage using AI to help you learn and solve problems. You can use it to explain concepts or suggest structures, but avoid copy-pasting as it's considered cheating.
Please let us know in advance so we can accommodate your needs.
Yes, prizes for the top projects in each track will be announced and awarded during the event.
Projects will be evaluated based on creativity, level of innovation, relevance to the selected track, and clarity of presentation.
No, all work must be done during the hackathon to ensure fairness.
Projects will be submitted via Devpost at the end of the hackathon.
Feel free to reach out to us via email at firebirdhacksfaqs@gmail.com for any questions or more information!
Yes! For Accomack County students, we've coordinated with IT to unblock essential tools. You can see at the Approved Site List or submit a Site Request Form if you need something else. Outside the county? Email us and we'll see what we can do!