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Central Ohio’s One-Day Hackathon for High Schoolers

November 15, 2026 | Location TBA

About

High School I/O is a one-day hackathon for high schoolers hosted by OHI/O, Ohio State’s hackathon program. We aim to provide high school students an opportunity to learn about computer science in a fun, engaging, and inclusive environment.

When

Sunday, November 15, 2026

Where

Location TBA

Learn

Attend workshops led by OSU students and receive mentorship from tech professionals.

Collaborate

Form teams, make friends, and bring your ideas to life!

The event is free of cost for participants, and lunch, dinner, and snacks are provided!

Volunteers

Interested in mentoring or judging for High School I/O? All college students, faculty, and industry professionals are welcome to sign up!

Mentors will be a key role throughout the event, helping students create better projects and guiding them through any challenges they may run into.

Judges will help out after hacking ends, reviewing projects based on several factors such as technical difficulty, originality, and more.

FAQ

What will students do/make?

Participants will work on team projects in whatever topic they choose! Additionally, there will be challenges that participants may choose to take on. Project deliverables usually look like some type of application/site that has been created by the participants to achieve a specific goal. In addition to this, hardware can also be used if needed!

Is the event remote or in-person?

The event is both in-person and remote. We will be using Discord to host the event online.

How many students per team?

Teams can range from 2-4 students.

Do student choose their own teams?

Yes! Students can form their own teams in the #team-formation channel in Discord! Details of how to create a team will be posted in the Discord server.

How does a virtual hackathon work?

Everything will work as before, but be virtualized using different technologies. There will still be access to mentors, sponsors, and other hackers. If you plan to attend virtually, be sure to join the HackOHI/O 2026 Discord for pertinent updates once the invitation link is sent out.

What if I don't know anyone else attending?

That’s fine! High School I/O is an opportunity to meet new people who have similar interests to you! Posting a little about yourself in the discord can help others get to know you and potentially find teammates!

What if I don't know how to code?

High School I/O is open to anyone, regardless of coding experience. We have mentors standing by to answer any questions you may have as well as a list of resources to help you start coding. This list will be found in the participant guide on discord soon!

What are the prizes?

When available, prizes can be found in the Prizes section of this website.

How do I win prizes?

To be eligible for prizes, you must be in a team of 2-4 people. Prizes may be won by completing challenges and winning in the general categories! Each team’s project will be judged to determine the final prizes. All projects must follow our Project Submission Guidelines.