SparkHacks at UIC!

1 day ago2 min read

by: Brenda L

This year, UIC SparkHacks held its annual hackathon on February 7th-8th, bringing together students, mentors, and sponsors for a weekend full of coding, learning, and fun. Our amazing sponsors included CME Group, John Deere, Grainger, Fulcrum GT, and the UIC College of Engineering Computer Science Department.

What Happened at SparkHacks?

Students had the chance to attend workshops on topics like React, Django, and AI agents with John Deere. They then had 24 hours to build and showcase their projects using creative tools and ideas.

One of the most exciting parts of the event was Fulcrum GT’s raffle, where students had the chance to win amazing prizes like a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and AirPods Pro. This got even more students involved and excited about participating!

Hackathon Highlights

✨ Over 400 students joined the competition

✨ 83 project submissions from teams of 4-5

✨ 32 mentors to guide participants

✨ 16 judges to select the best projects

✨ 93% retention rate from Day 1 to Day 2! (a new record!)

As the Outreach Lead, I was so happy to see how much our Instagram posts connected with students, sponsors, and mentors. It really showed how much effort went into making this event special!

Tracks and Prizes

This year, students competed across four exciting tracks, with amazing prizes for the top projects!

🌳 Track 1: Sustainable Innovation / Environment (Sponsored by John Deere)

🥇 1st Place: Beats Headphones + Office Tour/Lunch with Deere leaders + Deere Swag

🥈 2nd Place: Polaroid Printer + 1 Pack of Instant Film + Deere Swag

💭 Track 2: Make It Make Sense (Sponsored by Fulcrum GT)

🥇 1st Place: Ergonomic Office Chair + Vankyo Mini Projector

🥈 2nd Place: Acer Portable Monitor

🥉 3rd Place: Amazon Echo Dot

🏢 Track 3: Small Biz, Big Impact

🥇 1st Place: Microsoft Prize Pack (Sponsored by Microsoft)

🥈 2nd Place: Insignia 32” TV