RVAHack26
ACM Richmond's international virtual hackathon — presented with IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Richmond Section. Build, ship, and compete with participants, mentors, and judges from anywhere in the world.
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What Is RVAHack26?
RVAHack26 is a free, three-day international hackathon hosted by ACM Richmond in partnership with IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Richmond Section. Because it's fully virtual, participants anywhere in the world can form teams, build a project from scratch, and present it to a panel of judges — no travel required.
Event Schedule
Hackathon Inauguration
- Opening ceremony & welcome remarks
- Keynote & partner introductions
- Theme reveal and team formation
- Kickoff Q&A with mentors
Build Day
- Teams design, build, and iterate
- Mentor office hours throughout the day
- Progress check-ins
- Final submission prep
Judging & Prize Distribution
- Project submissions close
- Live judging & team presentations
- Closing ceremony
- Awards & prize distribution
Detailed session times (EST) and the virtual event platform will be shared with registered participants closer to the event.
Get Involved
Participants
Form or join a team, build a project over three days, and compete for prizes — open to participants anywhere, no experience level required.
Registration Coming SoonMentors & Judges
Guide teams through technical challenges during Build Day, then help evaluate final submissions and select the winning teams. One registration covers both roles.
Registration Coming SoonPrizes & TracksTBA
🏆 Prize Pool
Prize categories and amounts will be announced soon — check back or watch our LinkedIn for updates.
🎯 Hackathon Track
This year's theme is AI for Software Engineering — build tools or applications that use AI to improve how software is designed, built, tested, or maintained.
⚖️ Judging Criteria
Rubric and evaluation criteria will be published ahead of the event so every team knows what judges are looking for.
Presented By
RVAHack26 is a collaboration between ACM Richmond and our IEEE partners.
ACM Richmond
IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Richmond Section
IEEE TEMS
Don't Miss an Update
Schedules can shift — like this one just did. Follow ACM Richmond on LinkedIn to get the latest RVAHack26 announcements, schedule changes, and event news as soon as they're posted.
Follow & Subscribe on LinkedIn →Frequently Asked Questions
Is RVAHack26 really open internationally?
Yes — the entire event is virtual, so participants, mentors, and judges from anywhere in the world are welcome to participate.
Is there a cost to participate?
No, RVAHack26 is completely free for participants, mentors, and judges.
Do I need a team before I register?
No. Teams are formed during the Day 1 inauguration if you don't already have one.
Where can I ask other questions?
Reach out via our Contact page and we'll get back to you.