Skip to content
Under 18 on November 14? A parent or guardian must complete these steps by October 17.

RiverHacks 2026

Legal

November 14–15, 2026 at Austin Community College — Rio Grande Campus. Read this before the event.

Read first

Participants under 18

  • Age counts on November 14, 2026. If you were born after November 14, 2008, you are under 18 for this event and these rules apply to you.
  • Ages 12-17 can participate and compete for prizes.
  • A parent or guardian must stay on campus with you at all times. No exceptions, even with a signed waiver.
  • One guardian can cover up to 6 participants (one team).
  • All participants under 18 leave at 5:00 PM on Saturday, November 14, and keep building from home. The overnight session is for participants 18 and older only.
  • Your parent or guardian must sign the consent form by October 17, 2026. It is required to participate.
  • Parents and guardians must attend one of the required Google Meet orientation sessions by October 17, 2026: Friday, October 16, 2026, 7:00 to 7:45 PM CT, or Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:30 to 11:15 AM CT. It is required to participate. We strongly recommend that you attend with them.
  • At check-in, a volunteer matches your signed form to you. Forms are not accepted on site, so anyone without a form signed in advance cannot enter.

Orientation sessions are recorded, and the check-in desk on event day is recorded on camera, so we have a record of each guardian's approval.

Ages 11 and under

Born after November 14, 2014: Saturday-only elementary activation, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with a parent or guardian present. Limited to 30 kids. Not eligible for prizes and cannot stay past noon.

Steps

  1. Register on Luma and at spaceappschallenge.org (choose Austin, Texas).

    Note: Registration is closed. All 200 seats are filled.

  2. Parent or guardian signs the consent form by October 17, 2026. It is required to participate.

    Consent form: Coming soon, available by October 5, 2026. We are finalizing it with ACC.

  3. Parent or guardian attends one Google Meet orientation session by October 17, 2026: Friday, October 16, 2026, 7:00 to 7:45 PM CT, or Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:30 to 11:15 AM CT. It is required to participate. At the session we confirm which participants each guardian is approved to supervise. We strongly recommend that participants attend with their guardian. Meet links and calendar invites

  4. Arrive with your parent or guardian on Saturday, November 14, 9:00 AM, ACC Rio Grande Campus, Building 1000, 1212 Rio Grande St, Austin TX 78701.

Required for under 18

Guardian orientation

On Google Meet. Parents and guardians must attend one of the required sessions by October 17, 2026. We strongly recommend that participants attend with them.

All participants

Code of Conduct

RiverHacks is a space for everyone to learn and build. By registering for or attending RiverHacks 2026, you agree to this Code of Conduct.

  • Treat everyone with respect. Harassment, discrimination, bullying, and threats are not tolerated, in person or online, including on Discord.
  • Follow instructions from organizers, volunteers, ACC staff, and ACC police at all times.
  • Follow all Austin Community College policies and campus rules. Alcohol, drugs, and weapons are prohibited.
  • Stay in the areas assigned to the event. Do not prop open doors or enter restricted areas.
  • Participants under 18 must stay with their approved guardian at all times and leave at 5:00 PM on Saturday, November 14.
  • Build your own work and follow the NASA Space Apps rules. Do not attack, disrupt, or access networks, devices, or accounts without permission.
  • You are responsible for your own belongings.
  • To report a concern, tell any organizer or volunteer, or email [email protected]. In an emergency, call 911.

Anyone who breaks this Code of Conduct may be removed from the event without warning, may be disqualified from prizes, and may be reported to ACC or law enforcement.

Participation and Liability

  • Participation in RiverHacks is voluntary and at your own risk.
  • To the fullest extent permitted by law, each participant, and the parent or guardian of each participant under 18, releases and agrees not to hold liable the RiverHacks organizers, volunteers, mentors, judges, sponsors, ACM at ACC, and Austin Community College District and its trustees, employees, and police, for any injury, illness, loss, theft, or damage to people or property arising from participation in RiverHacks, except as caused by gross negligence or willful misconduct.
  • Parents and guardians are solely responsible for supervising participants under 18 throughout the event. Organizers and volunteers do not supervise minors.
  • In a medical emergency, organizers may call 911 on a participant's behalf. Any resulting costs are the participant's or guardian's responsibility.
  • The check-in desk is recorded on camera and guardian orientation sessions are recorded, to keep a record of each guardian's approval.
  • The signed RiverHacks Participant Waiver is the governing agreement. If anything on this page conflicts with the signed waiver, the signed waiver controls.