About
What is hackPHS?
hackPHS hosts over 300 high school students from across New Jersey to collaborate, innovate, and create in a 24-hour, student organized hackathon based at Princeton High School. Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced hacker, hackPHS will have something for you! hackPHS's goal is to provide a space for young and eager minds to collaborate with others, form new bonds, and create meaningful projects.
When and where is hackPHS?
hackPHS will be held in the cafeteria of Princeton High School, located at 151 Moore St, Princeton, NJ. Limited parking will be available around the school. You should plan on arriving around 9:00 AM on Saturday, November 1st and leaving sometime after 11:30 AM on Sunday, November 2nd.
Who pays for all of this?
hackPHS 2025 is completely free for everyone, thanks to our amazing sponsors!
What is a hackathon?
Hackathons are where creative and enthusiastic people come together to build awesome projects in a single all-nighter. With awesome workshops and incredible prizes, hackers will learn about new tech, build innovative solutions to real-world problems, and share their creation with the community, all in one event. If you are looking for a competition, a place to meet fellow hackers, or even just a place to learn how to code, hackathons are for you. If you want to learn more, see the MLH Hackathon FAQ.
FAQs
Who can attend this event?
hackPHS 2025 is for high school students only. If you are no longer a high schooler and would like to help out, consider becoming a mentor. Email us at team@hackphs.tech for more info on this!
How do I apply?
Registration is now open for 2025! All you need to do is fill out our form and register on our devpost and you'll be good to go!
How do I become a mentor? Chaperone? Volunteer?
Email us at team@hackphs.tech for more info on this!
What will be provided during the event?
Free food and drinks will be provided during the hackathon, including options for people with dietary restrcitions. If you ever want to sleep during the hackathon, we'll have dedicated quiet sleeping areas for y'all to catch some Z's. Electrical outlets will also be available throughout the cafeteria for all your charging needs. This year we will not be providing a hardware lab, so make sure to bring any hardware you want to use for your project.
What should I bring?
Make sure you’re ready to spend 24 hours away from home. Basically, bring a sleeping bag, extra clothes, a toothbrush, and anything else you might need to feel comfortable for a long period of time. Also, please bring anything you need for your project such as a laptop, laptop charger, and hardware.
How do I form a team?
Teams of up to 4 people are encouraged (though not mandatory) - if you already have a team, you can form your team when registering for hackPHS, but teams won't be final until submissions. If you don't have a team before the event, don't worry! At the beginning of the event, there will be a team building workshop, which will be a great way to meet other enthusiastic people and even make new friends.
Do you have a Code of Conduct?
All hackers must abide by Major League Hacking's Code of Conduct. TL;DR - all hackers should respect one another. Hackers also must abide by Princeton High School rules while on PHS grounds.
What can I win?
hackPHS hopes to emphasize learning and collaboration more so than competition - nonetheless, there will be awesome prizes to be won for some of the best hacks made during the event! The full prize list will be released later - make sure to follow us on social media to find out when!
What can I learn?
While you can learn a great deal in the process of building an ambitious project in such a limited time frame, we also plan to offer many introductory workshops (around 1 hour each) during the event, for those new to software and/or hardware engineering. Specific topics will include Python, Web Development, and Circutry, among many others - check our schedule for the full list!
Where can I find hackPHS on social media?
Follow us on Instagram (@hackphs)! We'll be posting updates as the event gets closer, so be sure to check it!
My question isn't answered here!
Email us at team@hackphs.tech with any other questions about the event!
Schedule
hackPHS will run from 9:00AM on Saturday, 11/1 until 11:30AM on Sunday, 11/2. This schedule is not final and may change before the event.Saturday 11/1
| Time | Event | Location |
| 9:00AM | Check in opens | Cafeteria |
| 9:30AM | Mini Programming Competition | Cafeteria |
| 11:00AM | Opening Ceremony | Cafeteria |
| 12:00PM | Hacking Starts | Cafeteria |
| 12:00PM | Team Building Workshop | 152 |
| 1:00PM | Lunch | Cafeteria |
| 2:00PM | Intro to Python | 155 |
| 3:00PM | Intro to Java | 153 |
| 4:00PM | Beginner's Challenge | 152 |
| 4:00PM | Sponsor Challenge | 153 |
| 4:30PM | Intro to Circuitry | 155 |
| 5:30PM | Intro to Finance in Computer Science | 155 |
| 6:30PM | Dinner | Cafeteria |
| 7:00PM | Photo Booth Opens | Cafeteria |
| 7:30PM | 3D Design and Printing | 153 |
| 7:30PM | Sponsor Event | 155 |
| 8:00PM | Intro to Neural Networks | 153 |
| 9:00PM | Intro to Web Development | 153 |
| 9:30PM | MLH Mini-event | 152 |
| 10:00PM | Spikeball, Volleyball, Badminton | New Gym |
| 11:00PM | Chess Tournament | 153 |
| 11:00PM | Intro to Computational Mathemagics | 155 |
Sunday 11/2
| Time | Event | Location |
| 12:00AM | Midnight Snack | Cafeteria |
| 12:00AM | Karaoke + Games | 153 |
| 7:30AM | Breakfast | Cafeteria |
| 9:00AM | Submissions Close, Hacking Ends | -- |
| 9:00AM | Spikeball | New Gym |
| 9:30AM | Engineering Challenge | 152 |
| 9:30AM | Judging Begins | -- |
| 11:30AM | Closing Ceremony | PAC |
Sponsors
Interested in sponsoring? Check out our prospectus and
reach out to us at outreach@hackphs.tech!
Want to support us directly? Please donate to our gofundme!
