GDG Markham October Hackathon 2026

about this event

Build AI solutions for challenges that matter to Markham. Join developers, designers, students, product thinkers and community members for the first GDG Markham Community AI Hackathon. Markham residents and youth will open the event with one-minute reverse pitches describing local issues, concerns and opportunities. Developers will choose a challenge, form a multidisciplinary team and spend the day building a working prototype with support from technical and product mentors. You do not need to arrive with a team or project idea. We will facilitate team formation after the community pitches.

We are looking for technology co-builders. We welcome participants with experience or interest in: artificial intelligence and machine learning; web and mobile development; cloud architecture and backend development; Android or Flutter development; Firebase; Google Cloud; Gemini and generative AI; user experience and product design; data analysis; technical presentation and product demonstrations. Professional developers, students, independent builders and first-time hackathon participants are welcome. You do not need to be an expert in every technology. Teams need people with complementary skills who are willing to learn, collaborate and build within a limited timeframe.

What you will build: Each team will select a challenge presented by a Markham resident, youth speaker or community representative. Possible areas include: accessibility and inclusion; education and youth opportunities; community services; small business support; sustainability; transportation and mobility; multilingual access to information; civic participation; neighbourhood connections. Teams will define the problem, identify the intended users and create a functional prototype that can be demonstrated by the end of the event. Projects are not expected to be production-ready. A focused prototype that clearly demonstrates the proposed solution is sufficient.

Technologies teams may use: Gemini and Google AI Studio; Vertex AI; Firebase Cloud Firestore; Firebase Authentication; Firebase Hosting or App Hosting; Flutter; Android; Google Cloud; Cloud Run; Google Maps Platform; other complementary development and design tools. Participants may use technologies outside the Google ecosystem when they support the project. Meaningful use of a Google technology is required only for the Best Use of Google Technology award.

Event schedule: 8:30–9:15 a.m. — Registration and breakfast; 9:15–10:00 a.m. — Welcome, orientation and technology introduction; 10:00–10:45 a.m. — Community reverse pitches and team formation; 10:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Building session and mentor support; 12:30–1:15 p.m. — Lunch; 1:15–3:00 p.m. — Building and technical mentorship; 3:00–3:15 p.m. — Team progress checkpoint; 3:15–4:00 p.m. — Final development and submission; 4:15–5:30 p.m. — Project demonstrations and judging; 5:30–6:00 p.m. — Awards and closing; 6:00–6:30 p.m. — Networking. The schedule may be adjusted slightly before the event.

Awards: Projects will be considered for five awards — Best Overall Project, Best Use of Google Technology, Best Community Impact, Best Beginner Team and People's Choice Award. Projects will be evaluated on: relevance of the problem; potential community impact; technical implementation; innovation and creativity; user experience and practicality; quality of the demonstration.

What you will gain: By participating, you will have an opportunity to build a practical portfolio project; apply AI and cloud technologies to a real community challenge; work with people from different professional backgrounds; receive guidance from technical and product mentors; practise rapid product development; demonstrate your work to judges and community representatives; meet members of Markham's technology community; and continue developing promising projects after the event.

What to bring: Please bring a laptop and charger; any adapters or accessories you require; a GitHub account or preferred source-control account; a reusable water bottle; and your ideas, technical skills and willingness to collaborate. Breakfast, lunch and refreshments are planned. Please provide any dietary or accessibility requirements during registration.

Participation expectations: By registering, you agree to attend the full event from team formation through project demonstrations; participate actively and contribute meaningfully to your team; treat community speakers and fellow participants respectfully; follow the event code of conduct; protect confidential or sensitive information; use data, code, images and other materials responsibly; disclose substantial pre-existing work and significant generative AI use; and submit your project before the announced deadline. New project work should be completed during the hackathon. Public APIs, libraries, templates, open-source components and AI development tools may be used. Teams retain ownership of their work.

Registration: Developer and technology co-builder spaces are limited. Please register only if you expect to attend the full event. During registration, tell us your technical skills and experience; the technologies you are interested in using; your preferred community challenge areas; whether you already have a team; whether this is your first hackathon; and any dietary or accessibility requirements. Participants without teams will receive team-formation support at the event. Registration does not guarantee admission. Confirmed participants will receive final arrival instructions and event resources by email.

GDG Markham is an independent, community-led Google Developer Group. Our activities and views should not be attributed to Google.

tracks

when

tickets

prizes

faq