Applications Are Open for the International AI Hackathon Teens in AI 2026

We invite high school and university students, as well as educators, to join Teens in AI 2026 — an international artificial intelligence techathon. The event takes place in 101 countries worldwide, and Ukraine is participating for the third time. Teens in AI aims to encourage young people to study AI and develop innovative technology solutions in this field.

Students, teachers, and lecturers from public, municipal, and private educational institutions are welcome to take part in the initiative.

Participation requirements for school and university students:

• Age 12–18
• Basic knowledge of AI or mathematics/computer science (experience in developing AI solutions will be an advantage)
• English proficiency at the B1 level or higher

Important: At least 60% of each team must be girls or non-binary individuals.

Students may register individually or in teams of 5–6 members, accompanied by an educational mentor from their institution.

Who can become a mentor:

• A computer science or mathematics teacher, or a lecturer in technical disciplines from a public, municipal, or private educational institution
• English proficiency at B1–B2 level

How to register:

You can apply for the selection stage until January 20, 2026, inclusive, using the following links:

• Participant registration form. Each participant must register individually. If you are applying as part of a team, please ensure that you indicate the team name and the full name of the mentor in the relevant fields. For individual registration, no additional information is required. If your application is approved, you will be added to a consolidated team.
• Educational mentor registration form. In the notes section, please indicate the name of the educational institution and the team you represent.

Important: An application is considered valid only if the international registration form is also completed. The link to this form is attached to the Ukrainian application for both participants and mentors.

Selection stages:

Based on the selection results, 10 best teams will advance to the national stage of the hackathon, which will take place online on February 21–22, 2026. Teams will have the opportunity to develop and pitch their ideas, and compete for a spot in the second stage –international competition, which will run from April 1 to April 17, 2026. The final of the hackathon will take place on April 23, 2026, during the Global Demo Day conference, where winning teams will represent their countries on a global level.

The Ukrainian techathon organizing committee will select teams based on registration details, including programming background, experience with AI tools, motivation, and proficiency in the English language.

All registered participants will have the opportunity to attend Inspiration Week, organized by the international team, which will take place from January 26 to 30, 2026.

#TeensInAI2026 is an opportunity to join a global community of future leaders in artificial intelligence and present your projects at Global Demo Day.

Winners of the international stage will gain valuable experience, professional connections, and receive prizes from the organizers and partners of the hackathon.

The event is organized by Teens in AI with the support of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the Lviv IT Cluster.