About the challenge

Hack@URI Mini HackDay — powered by Google Gemini — is a one-day, beginner-friendly hackathon where students across all majors come together to explore what’s possible with AI. Whether you’re a first-time hacker or an experienced builder, this event is about learning by doing.

Throughout the day, participants will work in teams to create projects that use Gemini to build, experiment, and prototype ideas. 

 

HackDay is hosted by Hack@URI, in partnership with Major League Hacking (MLH), Google Gemini, and the University of Rhode Island College of Engineering.

Get started

Before the event kicks off, make sure you’re ready to hack:

  1. Join our Discord – This is where all announcements, team formation, and mentor help will happen

  2. Form your team – You can come solo or find teammates at the event (3 MAX per team)

  3. Understand your track – Projects should focus on exploring and building with Google Gemini, whether that’s using the Gemini API, Gemini for Web, or creative multimodal use cases.

  4. Check the schedule – Workshops, games, and submissions all happen in one day, so plan your time well.

  5. Ask questions early – Mentors and organizers will be on Discord and in person to help you troubleshoot or brainstorm.

💡 Tip: You don’t need prior AI experience — Gemini is designed to help you build faster and learn as you go.

Requirements

What to Build

Create a project that explores how Google Gemini can be used to solve a real-world problem, enhance creativity, or make everyday tasks easier. Your project can be:

  • A web or mobile app using the Gemini API or Gemini for Web

  • A prototype or tool powered by AI prompts, automation, or creative generation

  • A technical or conceptual demo showing how Gemini can enhance an existing process

 

You don’t need a fully finished app — show what you learned, what you built, and how Gemini made it possible.

What to Submit

To be considered for judging, teams must submit:

  1. A Devpost project page that includes:

    • A short description of your project (what it does and why you built it)

    • How your project uses Google Gemini

  2. A demo video (1–2 minutes) showing your project in action or walking through how it works. This can be a screen recording or presentation — it doesn’t need to be polished.

  3. A presentation slide deck (optional) summarizing your idea, approach, and what you learned.

  4. A link to your code repository (GitHub, GitLab, etc.) if applicable.

 

💡 Tip: Judges are looking for creativity, learning, and clear use of Gemini — not perfection. Focus on what you explored and how you brought your idea to life.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$150 in prizes
Best use of Gemini API
$150 in cash
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Hack@URI

Hack@URI

Judging Criteria

  • Creativity & Originality
    How unique, surprising, or imaginative is the idea? Does it show a fresh take on how Gemini can be used?
  • Use of Gemini
    How effectively does the project leverage Gemini’s capabilities (API, prompts, multimodal input, or automation)?
  • Impact & Relevance
    Does the project solve a meaningful problem, enhance creativity, or make tasks easier in a tangible way?
  • Learning & Execution
    How much did the team learn and experiment? Is there a clear demonstration of effort, curiosity, and technical exploration?
  • Presentation & Clarity
    How clearly does the team communicate their concept, process, and results through their demo and submission?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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