About
Blueprint 2023 is a weekend-long learnathon and hackathon for high school students hosted at MIT. If you don't know what that means, don't worry—we explain more in the FAQ section below. Blueprint is open to all skill levels, from first-time coders to veteran hackers!
Over the course of Blueprint, you'll learn coding skills from MIT students, form a team, and work on a cool computer science project with the support of our mentors! After Blueprint, you'll not only have a project under your belt, but have the tools to do so much more.
We are also excited to announce that Blueprint 2023 will return to being in-person!
BP Week
Feb 13 - 17
- Join the hacker community before the weekend starts!
- Meet fellow hackers through online speed-friending and mini events
- Tune into tech talks from MIT student clubs and other organizations
- Get a head start on learning at Blueprint with beginner workshops
Learnathon
Feb 18
- Participate in hands-on workshops taught by MIT students and industry professionals on programming fundamentals in one of our tracks
- Attend tech talks on specialized computer science and STEM topics
- Engage with our educational organization partners at the organization fair
- Eager to get started? Check out StartHacking.org
Hackathon
Feb 19
- Put your new skills to practice!
- Form a team and experience the challenge and reward of building a project from scratch
- Consult mentors for personalized feedback and help on your project
- Demo your project to judges and compete to win prizes
- Interested in mentoring or judging at Blueprint? Sign up here!
Tracks
START HACKING
HARDWARE
MOBILE DEV
WEB DEV
FAQ
General
What is a learnathon?
A day of learning! You will have the opportunity to attend a day of workshops in your chosen track: StartHacking, web dev, mobile app dev, or hardware. See the tracks section above for more info. Beyond track-specific workshops, we'll also have auxiliary workshops, tech talks, an organization fair, and more.
What is a hackathon?
A chance to build an amazing computer science project! Students who attend the learnathon will apply their newly-acquired skills to create something they can call their own. Websites and mobile apps are common hacks, but you can build anything. We encourage you to think outside the box!
How much experience do I need to attend?
Zero computer science, coding, or hacking experience is necessary! We encourage students of all skill levels to apply—many of our workshops assume you have no experience and will help build your coding abilities from the ground up.
Do I need to attend both the learnathon and hackathon?
No, you can attend either one or both days! However, only participants who participate in track workshops during the learnathon or submit a project for the hackathon will be eligible for swag.
How will teams work? What if I don't have a team?
During our hackathon, you'll have the opportunity to create a project in a team of up to 4 students. Don't worry if you don't have a team now—we'll have team formation and ideation sessions, so there'll be plenty of time to meet new people!
Why is there an application?
While we want to open Blueprint to everyone, having an application allows us to provide a better event experience with respect to planning and logistics. However, you definitely do not need any experience to apply, we're looking for people who are passionate about learning and creating!
I have more questions!
Feel free to reach out to us at blueprint@hackmit.org for any questions, concerns, or just to say hi!
Logistics
Am I eligible to attend?
If you're a high school student, we invite you to apply - no coding experience required! Blueprint will teach you all you need to know to compete in your first hackathon, so beginners are more than welcome! Gap year students are also eligible.
Does Blueprint cost money?
Admission is free and includes mentors, workshops, swag, resources, and an unforgettable experience! Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse travel or lodging expenses for this event.
Will Blueprint be fully in-person this year?
Yes!
When is the application deadline?
Applications are due February 3rd!
Where is Blueprint?
The Saturday learnathon will take place at MIT's Stata Center (32 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139). The Sunday hackathon will take place at the MIT Media Lab (75 Amherst St, Cambridge, MA 02139).
What will I eat?
We will provide breakfast and lunch for Saturday's learnathon, and breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner for Sunday's hackathon! (it's all free!)
Schedule
