About the Challenge
The Campus Solutions Challenge is Georgia Tech's first hybrid hackathon and case competition, presented by Georgia Tech Student Government Association (SGA) and the College of Lifetime Learning. Over one weekend, students from any major take on real pain points at Georgia Tech, learn from industry partners like Google, Tesla, Microsoft, Workday, and Chick-fil-A, and present solutions to a panel of GT leaders and industry professionals.
Prompts can be found here
Teams compete in one of two tracks:
- Engineering Track: Build a functional solution, such as an app, platform, model, or prototype.
- Strategy Track: Develop a well-researched proposal and make the case for its feasibility and impact.
What sets this challenge apart is what happens after the weekend. Prompts are curated by SGA and approved by Georgia Tech administrators, and winning teams will work directly with campus departments to implement their solutions. Departments may also reach out to non-winning teams whose solutions stand out!
How It Works
- Pick a Prompt (Fri, Nov 13): Choose from a set of prompts curated by SGA and approved by GT administrators, or define your own
- Build (Sat, Nov 14): Develop your solution and join company-led workshops and fireside chats along the way
- Demo Day (Sun, Nov 15): Present your solution at a walk-around event open to students, faculty, staff, administrators, and guests
- Implement (And Beyond): Winners work with GT administrators to bring their solutions to campus
Schedule at a Glance
All events take place at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center (GLC), 84 5th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30308.
- Friday, Nov 13: Check-in at 4:00 PM, Opening Ceremony and prompt release at 5:00 PM
- Saturday, Nov 14: Workshops and fireside chats from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Sunday, Nov 15: Submissions due at 9:00 AM, Demo Day from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Closing Ceremony and Awards at 2:00 PM
Requirements
What to Build
Choose one prompt and one track. Each team may submit only one project.
- Engineering Track: A functional solution, such as an app, platform, model, or prototype, that you can demo live at Demo Day.
- Strategy Track: A well-researched proposal that makes the case for your solution’s feasibility and impact on campus.
What to Submit
Submit your project on Devpost by Sunday, November 15, at 9:00 AM ET. One team member submits on behalf of the team and adds teammates to the submission. Your submission should include:
- Video (3 minutes maximum): A concise pitch covering the problem, your proposed solution, why it works, and its impact
- Project story: In the “About the project” section, share what inspired your project, how it came together, and what’s next. This appears on your public project page, which also serves as a portfolio piece you can share and add to your resume!
- Submission questions: Responses about how your solution would work at Georgia Tech, the assumptions you made, and your track-specific progress or research. These are visible only to judges and organizers.
- Supporting materials: Any slides, GitHub repositories, or prototype links
- Prize selection: Both prizes for your track, so you’re considered for each
Late submissions will not be accepted.
Prizes
Top Engineering Award
$1,000 per team member (up to $5,000 for the team).
Top Strategy Award
$1,000 per team member (up to $5,000 for the team).
SGA's Choice (Engineering)
$500 per team member (up to $2,500 for the team).
SGA's Choice (Strategy)
$500 per team member (up to $2,500 for the team).
Judges
William Gaudelli
Engineering Track: Dean, Georgia Tech College of Lifetime Learning
Joe Lewis
Engineering Track: Associate Vice President of IT and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Georgia Tech Office of Information Technology
Mario Herane
Engineering Track: Associate Dean and Chief Catalyst of Learning Ecosystems, Georgia Tech College of Lifetime Learning
Greg Phillips
Engineering Track: Executive Director of Enterprise Services, Georgia Tech Office of Information Technology
Mark Davey
Engineering Track: Staff Demand Planner and Master Scheduler, Tesla
Juana Cunningham
Strategy Track: Senior Director of Strategic Consulting, Georgia Tech Office of Strategic Consulting
Jason Wang
Strategy Track: Senior Director, Georgia Tech Office of Institutional Research and Planning
Tanika Kyle
Strategy Track: Strategic Consulting Director, Georgia Tech Office of Strategic Consulting
Jacob Danzig
Strategy Track: Strategy Consultant, Deloitte
Judging Criteria
-
Problem Understanding and Impact
How clearly the team defines the problem, who it affects, and how the solution would improve their experience -
Originality and Depth of Thinking
A fresh approach backed by the team’s own reasoning and ability to defend its choices -
Feasibility and Campus Adoptability
How well the solution accounts for GT policies, privacy, cost, and existing systems -
Implementation Plan
A credible path from concept to real deployment on campus -
Track-Specific
A working, well-engineered build for the Engineering Track, or a well-researched, persuasive case for the Strategy Track
Questions? Email the hackathon manager