PiHacks 2026 Guidelines
We use MLH policy as a template.
TL;DR. Be respectful. Harassment and abuse are never tolerated. If you are in a situation that makes you uncomfortable at a Pioneer Coding Club Event, if the event itself creates an unsafe or inappropriate environment, or if interacting with a Pioneer Coding Club representative or event organizer makes you uncomfortable, please report it using the procedures included in this document.
Pioneer Coding Club stands for inclusivity. We believe that every single person has the right to code in a safe and welcoming environment.
Harassment includes but is not limited to offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, social class, economic status, and veteran status. Additional cases of harassment include but are not limited to sharing sexual images, violent depictions, vulgar language, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, brigading, doxxing, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
If what you're doing is making someone feel uncomfortable, that counts as harassment and is enough reason to stop doing it. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
Sponsors, judges, mentors, volunteers, organizers, Pioneer Coding Club staff, and anyone else participating in the event are also subject to the anti-harassment policy.
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, Pioneer Coding Club may take any action it deems appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no eligibility for reimbursement or refund of any type.
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please let a staff member know immediately.
All projects will be evaluated using a blind grading system on a point scale. To ensure fairness and eliminate bias, judges will not have access to information about which team created each project. A diverse panel of judges will evaluate projects based on two key criteria: functionality and polish.
Judges will assess projects solely on their technical execution and overall presentation quality. This ensures that every project receives an objective evaluation based on its merits alone.
While the usage of generative AI is allowed, we strongly recommend people to use their own brains for the creation of projects at codeathons. You're welcome to use AI to debug, create outlines, or help you learn a new concept. While we do not monitor your AI activity, we can see your code history and quality. If we see your project turns out to be AI junk, points will be deducted.