VISION HACK: Pi Day (π)

WHAT IS VISION HACK? A 12-hour hackathon in South LA on Saturday March 14th, 2026 (aka Pi Day) at the SoLa Tech & Entrepreneurship Center at The Beehive for students ages 14-30. Students will learn to build inventions under the guidance of mentors from the technology industry and then demo to judges who are venture capitalists, entrepreneurs from the Forbes 30 under 30 List, and elite engineers from Fortune 500 companies. WHO ARE THE MENTORS? Hacker Fund mentors are industry leaders and innovators from 150+ top-tier companies like Apple, Google, Tesla, SpaceX, and more. They are experts in AI, software engineering, gaming, hardware design, and advanced technologies, as well as seasoned entrepreneurs who have launched successful startups and pioneered groundbreaking solutions. Combining technical mastery with creative vision, these mentors bring real-world expertise and a passion for teaching, empowering students with hands-on guidance, practical knowledge, and the inspiration to innovate boldly and succeed in today’s tech-driven world. WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE? The hackathon schedule is outlined below: ​8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Participant Checkin & BREAKFAST​9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Opening Ceremony​9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Team Building & Ideation ​10:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Workshops​12:30 PM - 1:00 PM: LUNCH1:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Pi Day Activity (There will be pie!)​1:30 PM - 4:30 PM: Workshops​1:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Job Fair (Mock Interviews & Resume Help)​5:30 PM - 6:00 PM: DINNER & Project Submission Support​6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: DEMO Expo & Judging​7:00 PM - 7:50 PM: Finalist Demo + Closing Ceremony7:50 PM - 8:00 PM: Prize Distribution & Participant Checkout Hacking begins at 9:30am and ends at 6:00pm. In order to compete in the contest and demo your project to the judges, you must submit to Devpost by the deadline. AM I IN LOS ANGELES CD 8, 9, OR 10? Use this tool from LA Forward to find out if your home, school, or community center is in Los Angeles City Council District 8, 9, or 10. HOW BIG CAN A TEAM BE? Teams can be a maximum of 4 people. You are also allowed to fly solo. WHAT IS PI DAY? Pi Day is the annual celebration of mathematics where students eat pie and build projects using the never-ending number — Pi or the Greek letter “π” — on March 14th, aka 3.14. Will there be pie? OH YEAH! WHAT ARE THE PRIZES? Hackers who submit by the deadline will be able to compete for cash prizes from our community sponsors. The lineup of prizes will be announced at the beginning of March! WILL I GET HELP WITH MY RESUME? You will receive support from industry professionals who have experience crafting resumes for successful recruitment for apprenticeships, internships, and entry-level tech jobs. CAN MY CLASS ATTEND? We encourage all teachers — especially science, technology, engineering, arts, and math teachers — from schools in Los Angeles City Council Districts 8, 9, and 10 to send their students to the hackathon. The class with the most student attendees will win a prize! WHAT IF I CANNOT STAY THE WHOLE TIME? Hackathons are collaborative invention competitions where project teams that submit by the deadline are guaranteed an opportunity to demo in front of the industry judges and compete for prizes. However, if you'd like to come for the Career Fair or just the workshops, that is cool too — because learning to code, build robots, and make friends is the whole point! WHAT IF I CANNOT MAKE IT IN-PERSON? Our goal at VISION HACK is to create inclusive, collaborative environment that bridges the digital divide so if you have a stable internet connection at home or at a library near you, you're welcome to join the Workshops, Career Fair, and the online Discord where you can meet the hackathon mentors. All participants will receive a link to join the hackathon via Google Meet. CAN MY TEACHERS ATTEND THIS EVENT? Yes — absolutely! This hackathon is an opportunity for your teachers to attend the event with you and learn how to bring the latest technology tools back to the classroom with you. WHAT IF I AM UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE? All youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their parents during the hackathon event. We have educational activities and giveaway prizes for all parents --- including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If your parents have questions, they can attend any of the information sessions below: VISION Hack: Parent Info Session Thursday, March 12 · 6:30 – 7:00pm Time zone: America/Los_Angeles Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ywv-sihv-cnn Or dial: ‪(US) +1 314-339-7051‬ PIN: ‪505 594 256‬# VISION HACK: Parent Info Session Friday, March 13 · 8:00 – 8:30am Time zone: America/Los_Angeles Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/wqp-qzoy-vec Or dial: ‪(US) +1 662-532-9115‬ PIN: ‪641 235 263‬# VISION HACK: Parent Info Session Friday, March 13 · 5:00 – 5:30pm Time zone: America/Los_Angeles Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/cbe-tcfq-zcn Or dial: ‪(US) +1 614-758-9253‬ PIN: ‪300 401 594‬# WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? We have an extended FAQ here! Public Communications Statement: This project received $120,000 from a grant awarded under the Community Project grant, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.