Sign inSign up

Help

How CDCL Hackathon 2027 works

The whole journey in 10 steps, from finding the hackathon to the published winners. Each step says who does it, where to click and what you should see. Buttons and menus are named exactly as they appear on the site.

  1. Find the hackathon

    AnyoneVideo 00:50

    Wherecdcl.nodesudbury.com

    1. Open the site. It goes straight to CDCL Hackathon 2027; no account is needed to look around.
    2. Read the About tab, then open Teams and Rules.
    3. The footer links to Help, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines.

    You should seeThe dates, "In-person presentations", the seats left and the Register button.

  2. Check the platform

    Platform adminVideo 02:29

    WhereAccount menuAdmin

    1. Sign in, open the account menu at the top right and choose Admin.
    2. Look over events, people, sponsorships and the health of email and background jobs.

    You should seeEvery event and person on the platform. Only platform admins have this menu item.

  3. Set up the hackathon

    OrganizerVideo 03:05

    WhereManageEdit hackathon

    1. Manage → Overview shows registrations, teams and submissions at a glance.
    2. Edit hackathon → Essentials: name, dates and the contact email shown on the site.
    3. Edit hackathon → Eligibility: who can take part, and when registration opens and closes.
    4. Settings → Team and track settings: the largest team allowed (CDCL uses 5).
    5. Edit hackathon → Submissions: when submissions close and the questions every team answers.
    6. Edit hackathon → Hackathon site: description, rules, resources and partner logos (drag a logo into the box).
    7. Publish checklist: once everything required is done, the hackathon is public.

    You should seeFields marked with * are required. Times use the event’s time zone; round times such as 9:00 read best.

  4. Register

    ParticipantVideo 04:57

    WhereThe hackathonRegister

    1. Sign in (or sign up), open The hackathon and choose Register.
    2. Answer the organizer’s questions. Questions marked * are required.
    3. Choose your team plan: Solo for now, Looking for a team, or I already have a team.
    4. Tick the NODE Terms of Service and the event rules. Each opens in full before you agree.
    5. Choose Confirm registration, then Go to participant portal.

    You should seeA "You’re in" card with your ticket. Your name and email come from your account, so you are not asked again.

  5. Form a team

    ParticipantVideo 07:51

    WhereParticipant portalYour team

    1. In the portal, choose Join an existing team or create a team.
    2. To lead: type a team name and choose Start a team, then share the team code.
    3. To join: paste a team code and choose Join team, or ask to join a team from the Teams list.
    4. Looking for teammates? The Teams tab lists people looking for a team.

    You should seeYour team with its members, for example "2 of 5 places".

  6. Submit the project

    ParticipantVideo 09:36

    WhereMy scheduleParticipant portalYour submission

    1. Choose Start project and work through the steps: Manage team, Project overview, Project details, Additional info, Submit.
    2. Save draft keeps your work without submitting it. You can come back until the deadline.
    3. Choose Submit, tick This is our own work, then Submit project.
    4. My schedule → View ticket shows the QR code you scan at the door.

    You should see"Submitted" and a receipt with the exact time it was received.

  7. Close submissions and invite judges

    OrganizerVideo 11:47

    WhereManageReview submissionsJudging

    1. Edit hackathon → Eligibility and Submissions: set when registration and submissions close, then Save timeline.
    2. Settings → Team and track settings → Judges: type the judge’s email, choose Add judge and send them the invitation link.
    3. After the deadline, Manage → Review submissions: open each project and choose Judge to send it to the judges.
    4. Manage → Judging → Add round: name it and set weighted criteria, for example Use of the data 40, Technical build 30, Presentation 30.
    5. In the round: Lock entrants, tick the judges, Assign to every team, then Open round.

    You should seeEach project’s receipt (received, submitted, version) and the round marked open.

  8. Score the projects

    JudgeVideo 16:04

    WhereInvitation linkMy scheduleJudging

    1. Open the invitation link, sign in with the invited email and choose Accept.
    2. My schedule → Judging → Start judging.
    3. Pick a team, read the project, give a score from 1 to 5 for each criterion and add a private note.
    4. Choose Save, or Save and next to move to the next team.

    You should seeOnly the teams assigned to you. Scores stay private to judges and organizers.

  9. Schedule the presentations

    OrganizerParticipantVideo 17:35

    WhereManagePresentation schedule

    1. Create a session: a name, the judging round, a room and a judging panel.
    2. Generate slots: pick a date and a time window (for example 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM), Preview slots, then Add slots.
    3. Pick a team for each slot, then Review and publish → Publish schedule.
    4. Each team sees its time in the portal and can confirm it, add it to a calendar or ask for another time.

    You should seeEvery team with a time, a room and a status: scheduled or confirmed.

  10. Announce the winners

    OrganizerAnyoneVideo 19:28

    WhereManageSelect winnersAnnounce winners

    1. Manage → Judging: Close round.
    2. Edit hackathon → Prizes: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, type Auto, places 1, 2 and 3, then Save prizes.
    3. Manage → Select winners: the judges’ ranking fills each place.
    4. Manage → Announce winners → Publish results.
    5. Manage → Review submissions: open each project, Show in gallery, then Open gallery to public.

    You should seeThe public Winners page with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, and the project gallery open to everyone.