| description | Learn what Hack Days are, how they differ from full hackathons, and what MLH provides. |
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Hack Days are small, free, entirely in-person mini hackathons powered by Major League Hacking (MLH) and our partners. They are designed to fit the scale of a professional meetup, workplace program, community workshop, or club gathering—not a full weekend hackathon.
Four to six hours is ideal, and an event may run for up to 12 hours. A Hack Day can be a workplace innovation session, professional meetup, community gathering, or student-led event; it does not need to fill an entire day.
Generative AI and other developer tools make it possible for hackers to learn, experiment, and build meaningful projects in a shorter amount of time. Unless your assigned partner category says otherwise, hackers may use any technologies that help them build their projects.
{% hint style="info" %} Before applying, review Requirements and Eligibility for the complete Hack Day format and OrganizerHQ requirements. {% endhint %}
This guide contains the Hack Day-specific rules and workflows organizers need to follow, including:
- Program eligibility and required event format
- Short, copyable event schedules
- OrganizerHQ registration, check-in, project, and winner workflows
- MLH partner categories and judging requirements
- Event closeout, reimbursements, and prizes
For broader advice about building an organizing team, securing sponsorship, managing a large venue, marketing an event, or running a full-scale hackathon, use the MLH Hackathon Organizer Guide. It is the main source for general “how to organize” guidance; this guide adds the requirements that are specific to Hack Days.
Hack Days give communities a low-barrier way to build together:
- Build community. A short, focused event helps members collaborate and meet new people.
- Develop leadership skills. Organizers practice project management, communication, and event planning.
- Encourage experimentation. Hackers can learn unfamiliar tools and turn an idea into a working prototype.
- Access MLH support. Approved events receive planning resources, reimbursement support, and—depending on availability—swag and prizes.
- Confirm that your event meets the requirements and eligibility rules.
- Apply to host through OrganizerHQ.
- Plan a focused event using the recommended Hack Day schedule.
- Use OrganizerHQ for registrations, check-ins, every presenting team's project submission, and MLH partner prize winners.
- Complete the required event closeout, including photos, your event summary, and receipts.
{% hint style="info" %} Ready to begin? Review Requirements and Eligibility, then start your application. {% endhint %}