High School Hackathon 2026: Free Online AI Hackathon and Competition for Students Worldwide
48 Hours. One AI Project. Make Something Real.
What can you build with AI in just 48 hours? Join students from around the world for a high-intensity virtual AI hackathon for high school students where you’ll turn an idea into a working AI project, collaborate with friends, and present your work to researchers and engineers from leading AI labs.
No prior AI experience required.
Five Reasons to Take Part
Why Join?
Build Something Real
Go beyond tutorials. Identify a real problem, build an AI-powered solution, and turn your idea into a working project.
Compete Globally
Work solo or form a team of up to three students from anywhere in the world.
Learn by Building
Free workshops and starter notebooks will help you get ready—even if this is your first time working with AI.
Get Recognized
Finalists present their projects live to an expert judging panel, with winning projects featured by Veritas AI.
Win Big
Compete for a share of a $75,000+ prize pool, including scholarships and a working internship opportunity at a healthcare AI startup.
One Weekend. One Build.
The Challenge
Your Name
on It.
For 48 hours, you’ll have one goal: build something that works.
Choose from challenge tracks spanning areas such as health, finance, climate, and more. The exact challenge briefs are revealed at kickoff, so every team starts on equal footing.
Your project should use AI to address a real problem through a model that predicts, classifies, generates, recommends, or otherwise creates meaningful value.
You’ll
Submit
- 1Working code through Google Colab or GitHub
- 2A one-page project write-up
- 3A 2-minute demo video
Then the strongest projects move on to the live finals.
Who Can Participate?
Built for High School Students Everywhere
If you’re enrolled in high school on November 14, 2026, you’re eligible.
You can compete alone or bring up to two friends. Your teammates can even attend different schools or live in different countries.
Never Built With AI?
Start Here.
You don’t need to arrive as an AI expert.
Before the hackathon, you’ll have access to free live workshops and starter notebooks designed to help you understand the tools you’ll need.
Learn the basics. Form your team. Come ready to build.
The challenge itself starts at kickoff—so everyone gets the same opportunity to create from scratch.
New to hackathons? Read the official guide for everything you need to know before kickoff.
Build It. Win It. Take It Further.
The Prizes
A working internship at Arecibo AI for every member of the team. Work directly with a real healthcare AI startup on real projects—not just job shadowing.
Choose between a 100% scholarship to Veritas AI Scholars or a 75% scholarship to the Veritas AI Fellowship.
50% scholarship to the Veritas AI Fellowship.
- Best Beginner Build: 100% scholarship to Veritas AI Scholars.
- Best AI for Good: 50% scholarship to the Veritas AI Fellowship.
- Judges’ Choice: 50% scholarship to the Veritas AI Fellowship.
Your project can also become part of your portfolio, with finalists and winning projects receiving additional recognition.
Your Project. Their Questions.
Meet the Judges
Finalists will pitch their projects live to researchers and engineers from leading AI organizations.
Kareema Batool
Researcher, Engineering, MicrosoftHarvard University
Niranjani Prasad
Senior Researcher, Microsoft Research CambridgePhD, Princeton University
Abdulla Kerimov
PhD, Stanford UniversityComputational Rock Physics
More judges will be announced.
Mark Your Calendar
The Timeline
All times are Eastern Time.
From Sign-Up to Showtime
How It Works
REGISTER
Sign up for free and choose whether you’re competing solo or with a team.
PREPARE
Attend the free workshops, explore the starter materials, and find your teammates.
GET THE CHALLENGE
At kickoff, your challenge brief is revealed.
BUILD
You have 48 hours to develop your AI solution.
SUBMIT
Send in your working code, one-page write-up, and 2-minute demo.
PITCH
The strongest teams advance to the live finals and present to the judging panel.
WIN
Take home scholarships, recognition, and the opportunity to earn a working AI internship.
Everything You Need to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about the best high school AI hackathon for students worldwide.
What is the Veritas AI International High School Hackathon?
It is a free, online, 48-hour AI hackathon for high school students worldwide, held November 14–15, 2026. Students build a working AI project, submit code, a one-page write-up and a 2-minute demo, and the strongest teams pitch live to expert judges. It is a student AI hackathon and AI competition for high school students open to every country.
Who can join this high school AI hackathon?
Any student enrolled in high school on November 14, 2026 can take part, solo or in teams of up to three. Students from Pakistan, India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the USA and every other country are welcome, which makes it a true international and global high school hackathon.
Is this online hackathon really free?
Yes. Registration, workshops and starter notebooks are completely free, so it is one of the free AI competitions and free online hackathons for students you can join in 2026.
Do I need AI or coding experience?
No. Free live workshops and starter notebooks help beginners get ready, so this AI competition suits first-time builders as well as experienced students. It is a great way to build an AI project and start AI projects for high school students with real results.
What prizes and scholarships can I win?
The prize pool is worth $75,000+ in total, including scholarships to Veritas AI programs and a working internship at a healthcare AI startup for the gold-winning team. Every submitter also receives a certificate of participation.
Why is this a good extracurricular for high school students?
It combines machine learning, coding, teamwork and presentation skills in one weekend. Aspiring computer scientists and AI students can add a real project, a certificate and possible finalist recognition to their portfolios and college applications.