CodeBox Hacks is a weekend software hackathon for Cal Poly students. Come with an idea, find a team, and turn something you wish existed into a real, working project. Whether you are brand new to building or already have projects under your belt, this is a weekend to learn, collaborate, experiment, and ship something you are proud to demo. 

Saturday, September 5 — ATL

• 9:00–9:30 AM: Check-in
• 9:30–11:00 AM: Required kickoff
• 12:00–1:00 PM: Pizza Lunch at ATL
• 12:00-5:00 PM: Free building time

Sunday, September 6 — ATL

• 11:00 AM: Sunday Opening
• 11:00-12:00 PM: Board Circuit
• 12:00–1:00 PM: Panda Express Lunch at ATL
• 2:00 PM: Hacking and submissions close
• 2:00–2:15 PM: Break
• 2:15–3:30 PM: Live project demos
• 3:30–4:15 PM: Board deliberation
• 4:15–4:30 PM: Awards and closing

At least one representative from every team must attend Saturday’s kickoff and Sunday’s opening. Teams may work remotely or in person for the rest of the weekend.

Tracks

Each team will submit to one track. You can change your direction and choose your final track when you submit.

10 Minutes Back

How can I give someone 10 minutes of their day back?

Between finding parking, waiting for food, coordinating group projects, navigating campus systems, and handling repetitive tasks, small inefficiencies add up. Find one frustrating piece of everyday life at Cal Poly, or anywhere else, and build something that gives people that time back.

Hidden Cal Poly

How can I make something valuable easier to discover?

Cal Poly is full of opportunities, resources, people, events, spaces, clubs, classes, and knowledge that students often only discover by accident. Build something that surfaces what people are missing, whether that is an underused campus resource, the right teammate, an opportunity, a study spot, or something beyond campus.

Future of Learning

How can I make learning more effective, accessible, or engaging?

Students learn in different ways, but tools for studying, teaching, feedback, and access often fall short. Build something that helps people learn, teach, or grow better, in or beyond the classroom.

Creative

Does your idea truly not fit anywhere else?

CodeBox is about taking ideas seriously enough to build them, but we also want teams to push themselves to work within one of the defined tracks whenever possible. The tracks are intentionally broad, and we encourage you to interpret them creatively rather than defaulting to Creative.

If you’ve explored the other tracks and your idea genuinely doesn’t fit any of them, you may choose this track as a last resort. Come with a clear problem, a thoughtful solution, and a reason your project belongs outside the other tracks.

Judging and awards

Projects are judged equally on:

1. Product & Impact — Does it solve a real problem for a clear user in a thoughtful or original way?

2. Execution — Did the team turn the idea into a working, understandable demo?

3. Growth & Collaboration — Did the team use the weekend well, share the work, and communicate what they learned?

We will recognize one winner in each track, plus a Best Overall winner. A team may win their track and also Best Overall.

Food

Lunch will be provided on Saturday and Sunday.

• Product & Impact
  Does the project solve a real problem for a clear user in a thoughtful or original way?
• Execution
  Did the team turn the idea into a working, understandable demo that people can actually experience?
• Growth & Collaboration
  Did the team use the weekend well, share the work, and clearly communicate what they learned?