USAII’s Global AI Hackathon 2026 — a virtual competition for high school, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students who want to build meaningful AI solutions with real-world relevance.
No prior hackathon experience required. Work in teams, get mentor support, and present your solution on a global stage. No-code and low-code projects are welcome.
The USAII’s Global AI Hackathon 2026 is a student innovation virtual competition designed to make AI learning practical, collaborative, and responsible. Students work in teams of 2–5, use public or synthetic data, and build solutions grounded in real-world needs rather than abstract case studies.
With dedicated tracks for high school, undergraduate, and graduate-level participants, the experience is designed to be challenging, fair, and accessible across time zones. Core sessions are recorded and available asynchronously, while mentors, judges, and speakers help guide students throughout the event.
A 1 week structured sprint focused on community, learning, and environment challenges. Designed to help students take a fast, supported first step into AI problem-solving. June 14–21, 2026.
A 1-week build experience for students designing AI tools that help people learn, navigate careers, and make better everyday decisions. June 14–21, 2026.
A 1-week advanced build track for students working on public-good systems, human safety, public policy, and responsible AI infrastructure. June 14–21, 2026.
The USAII® Global AI Hackathon is designed to be accessible, collaborative, and impactful. Students from around the world will work in teams to explore real-world AI challenges, supported by mentors, industry speakers, and judges.
Students pre-register. Mentors, Judges and Speakers apply via interest form
April 26 – June 6
Teams of 2-5 form across Schools or countries via Devpost
Students enrol in AI Bootcamps to build familiarity with AI for this Hackathon
June 7-10
Teams complete an AI Thinking Assessment to confirm readiness
June 14
Challenge Reveal & Speaker Series Launch
June 14-21
Qualified teams design and prototype solutions during their track window
June 22-25
Submissions are evaluated asynchronously across multiple rounds
June 27
Winning teams are announced and highlighted through a livestream awards event
The USAII's Global AI Hackathon is supported by organizations committed to advancing responsible AI education and empowering the next generation of innovators. These founding sponsors help make the event possible while supporting students building real-world AI solutions.
We are welcoming a limited number of organizations supporting the inaugural event.
ETA supports entrepreneurship through acquisition and next-generation business leadership.
The Innovate Summit brings together founders, technologists, and thought leaders to advance innovation across industries.
NowSourcing is a leading digital media and data storytelling firm known for translating complex topics into accessible, visual insights.
DevITJobs is the first job board built with Software Engineers in mind. The main goal of the company is to bring more transparency, openness and diversity to the US IT market.
Universities, school districts, and education organizations are helping introduce their students to the USAII® Global AI Hackathon. Through their support and promotion, students from these institutions are already pre-registered and preparing to participate in the inaugural event.
Students from these institutions are already registered for the hackathon.
Challenge Advisors work with USAII® to bring real-world problems into the hackathon. These mission-driven organizations help translate meaningful challenges into AI innovation briefs that students will explore during the event.
Safe Passage is a nonprofit organization committed to protecting vulnerable children from trafficking and exploitation. Through education, advocacy, and collaborative programs, Safe Passage works to prevent trafficking, support survivors, and strengthen systems that protect children and families. The organization is dedicated to empowering communities and creating safer futures for children worldwide.
https://www.safepassageusa.org
The Institute for Survivor Care is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing best practices, training, and innovation in services for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation. As a Challenge Advisor for the USAII Global AI Hackathon, the Institute helps bring real-world challenges into the event, guiding students to explore how AI can strengthen care systems, improve service coordination, and support more effective interventions for survivors.
https://www.instituteforsurvivorcare.org
St. John Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives through services that support housing, employment, and long-term stability. As a Challenge Advisor for the USAII Global AI Hackathon, St. John Center helps bring real-world challenges into the event, guiding students to explore how AI can improve access to services, streamline support systems, and strengthen pathways out of homelessness.
https://www.stjohncenter.org
Protect Us Kids Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit operating across 8 countries dedicated to preventing online child exploitation through education, community engagement, and responsible technology. As a Challenge Advisor for the USAII Global AI Hackathon, PUK brings real-world intelligence on where children face the greatest digital harm — and challenges students to build AI tools that go beyond detection, toward prevention, early intervention, and survivor-informed support. PUK’s work sits at the intersection of child safety, digital public infrastructure, and governance, making it a natural home for solutions that are not just technically sound, but trustworthy, scalable, and built to protect the most vulnerable.
https://www.protect-us-kids.org
The qualifier takes place about one week before the hackathon begins.
Teams will receive instructions and access through the hackathon platform.
The qualifier typically takes 10–15 minutes to complete.
Responses are evaluated using an AI-assisted scoring system that measures key aspects of AI thinking, including:
After submitting your responses:
Results will be shared through email and the hackathon platform.