Information for Hillel Academy students, parents and teachers
Hack 876 is a one-day competition where secondary-school students work in small teams to build a solution to a real problem, then present it to judges who work in technology and business. No coding experience is needed. Hillel students in 5th Form through Upper 6th Form (Grades 11 to 13 at Hillel) can apply.
Hack 876 is organized independently of Hillel Academy. It costs nothing to apply, and applying does not guarantee a place.
What is Hack 876?
Events like this are called hackathons. Small teams start with a problem in the morning and, by the evening, show judges what they have made. The name has nothing to do with breaking into computers.
Each team builds a prototype. A prototype is an early version of an idea that you can show or demonstrate. It does not have to be finished or ready to sell.
The aim is to have something working to show by the end of the day. Not every team gets all the way there, and that is expected.
A simple idea that works and is explained clearly can beat a complicated one that does not.
Hack 876 is run by an organizing team led by Nadani Dixon and Stefen Ewers. Stefen Ewers attended Hillel. It exists to give Jamaican students a chance to build something real before university, alongside people who do it for a living.
About 80 students from several Kingston schools will take part, at the Spanish Court Hotel.
Contact the organizersGo straight to what you need
For students
If you are in 5th Form through Upper 6th Form (Grades 11 to 13 at Hillel) and you like making things, yes. You will join a team of 3 to 4, choose a problem, and spend the day building a solution together. You do not need to have coded before.
Only one of these is programming. Artists, writers, researchers and confident speakers are needed too.
No. You do not need Python, C, JavaScript or any other programming language, and you do not need to have built anything before.
Teams need different skills. Someone has to understand the problem, design how the solution looks, build it, and explain it to the judges. Students who draw, write, research, organize or present are as useful as students who code.
No. You can apply on your own, or with friends. If you apply with friends, each of you fills in your own application and lists the others.
Teams are 3 to 4 students. Students without a team are placed in one, and the application asks whether you are happy to be matched with students from another school. Hack 876 is not Hillel against other schools: teams can be mixed.
Still to be confirmed: The final rules for how teams are formed.
No training sessions have been arranged. Students do not need to prepare anything in order to apply.
Still to be confirmed: Whether optional workshops or preparation materials will be offered. Any that are arranged will be announced on this page.
No. The organizers’ aim is that no student has to buy software or an AI subscription to take part. Students do not need to own or pay for any tool in order to apply.
Still to be confirmed: How approved tools will be provided on the day.
Your team chooses the problem and how to solve it.
Required
Bring if you have them
Still to be confirmed
How to apply
Applications are open. Places are limited to about 80 students across all schools, so applying does not guarantee a place.
You need to be in 5th Form through Upper 6th Form (Grades 11 to 13 at Hillel), at Hillel or another school in the Hack 876 network.
It is an online form on the Hack 876 website. You can apply alone or with friends. Each student fills in their own form.
The application form does not ask for a recommendation, so a student at Hillel can submit one directly. Schools in the network are also asked to recommend students they think would enjoy it.
Still to be confirmed: Whether a school recommendation will be required for a place, and how recommendations are weighed. If you are unsure, apply and let your teacher know.
The Hack 876 organizing team reads each application. The written answers matter more than grades or past achievements: the team is looking for curiosity and a willingness to build with other people.
Still to be confirmed: The detailed selection criteria.
Accepted students are sent a consent form for a parent or guardian to sign, and the details for the day.
Still to be confirmed: The closing date and the date decisions are sent. Both will be posted on this page.
Teams are 3 to 4 students. Students without a team are placed in one, which may include students from other schools.
Still to be confirmed: The final rules for how teams are formed.
There is no test. The written answers show what a student is curious about.
Start the applicationFor planning, the organizers have roughly 8 to 12 Hillel students in mind. That figure is an estimate. It is not a quota and not a promise.
For parents and guardians
Hack 876 is a supervised, single-day event at a hotel in Kingston. Each card below gives what is known. Where a detail is marked “Still to be confirmed”, families will be told before a student is asked to accept a place.
Saturday, February 20, 2027. This date is tentative. Please do not make firm plans around it until it is confirmed on this page.
It is not overnight. Hack 876 runs for a single day, from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM, and every student goes home that evening.
Still to be confirmed: Times may shift slightly. The final schedule is sent to accepted students.
See the full scheduleStudents are supervised by Hack 876 staff and volunteers for the whole day, at the Spanish Court Hotel.
Still to be confirmed: The number of supervising adults and the written safeguarding procedures. Both will be sent to families before the event.
Every participant needs a consent form signed by a parent or guardian. The form is sent to accepted students, so there is nothing to sign at the application stage.
Still to be confirmed: The exact wording of the form and how it is returned.
Yes. Food is provided on the day, and the schedule includes a lunch break. Accepted students will be asked about allergies and dietary needs in advance.
Still to be confirmed: The menu.
No transport has been arranged, so families should plan to bring students to the Spanish Court Hotel for 8:00 AM and collect them at 7:30 PM.
Still to be confirmed: Drop-off and pick-up procedures, and whether any transport will be arranged.
It costs nothing to apply. The organizers’ aim is that no student has to buy software or tools to build a project, and food is provided on the day.
Still to be confirmed: Whether there is any participation fee. If there is one, it will be published on this page before any student is asked to accept a place.
Every student needs to bring their own laptop or other device to build on, plus a charger. Hack 876 is not providing laptops or other hardware.
A student who does not have a device of their own should plan to borrow one for the day before accepting a place.
Every family will be given an on-site contact and the emergency procedure before the event. Before the day, the organizers can be reached at info@hack876.com.
Still to be confirmed: The on-site contact details.
Tell the organizers as early as possible, at info@hack876.com, so arrangements can be made with the venue. Accepted students will also be asked directly.
Next step: if your child would like to take part, they complete the application themselves. Nothing needs to be signed or paid at that stage.
AI tools and age limits
Most students taking part are under 18, and many AI tools have age rules. This is how Hack 876 deals with that.
01
Students may use AI, but do not have to.
AI tools are programs that can write text, code or images from instructions. A team can do well without them.
02
Students under 18 can take part.
Age limits apply to particular tools, not to the event.
03
Some AI tools are for adults only.
The companies that make them set a minimum age. Students under 18 will not use an adults-only tool at Hack 876.
04
A parent cannot give permission for an 18+ tool.
A parent’s consent does not change a company’s minimum age.
05
Students use approved tools only.
The organizers are choosing tools suitable for the ages taking part, so that every team has tools its members may use.
06
Students do not need to buy anything.
The aim is that no student has to pay for software or an AI subscription.
Still to be confirmed: The list of approved tools, the age limit for each, and the consent form. All three will be sent to accepted students and their families before the event.
After the event
Hack 876 does not offer or promise internships, jobs, scholarships, interviews or placements.
Students meet people who work in technology and can ask them about their studies and careers. There is no formal career programme attached to Hack 876.
Still to be confirmed: The organizers hope to develop longer-term links with companies, universities and mentors. None are in place.
Hillel alumni at Hack 876
One of the judges and one of the two organizers of Hack 876 are former Hillel students. Each card shows where they studied and where they work now.
Organizer
Stefen Ewers
Hillel → Campion College → Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech
Judge
Kendall Todd
Hillel → UF
Accenture
Workplaces are listed to show each person’s career. These companies are not sponsors of Hack 876 unless listed as sponsors on the main website.
For teachers
Hillel is not asked to pay, host or organize anything. Teachers can help by telling eligible students about Hack 876 and, if they wish, recommending students who would enjoy it.
Hillel Academy has confirmed that it is taking part in Hack 876. We are working with Hillel’s leadership and Technology Education team, and the faculty liaison is still being confirmed. Hack 876 is organized independently of Hillel Academy, and individual student places are not guaranteed.
Programming experience is not required.
Faculty liaison
To be confirmed
Coordinating with Hillel’s leadership and Technology Education
We are working with Mr. Lloyd Holmes, High School Principal, and Ms. Delrose Coburn, Head of Technology Education. Who acts as Hillel’s faculty liaison is for the school to decide. Until then, teachers can send questions and recommendations to the organizing team.
Still to be confirmed: Who acts as Hillel’s faculty liaison.
Student ambassadors
A student ambassador is a Hillel student who helps classmates find out about Hack 876. One or two student ambassadors have been proposed. None has been nominated, and their names will not be published without permission.
Downloads
One-page PDFs to print, pin to a noticeboard or send in a class or parent group.
PDF · 1 page
What Hack 876 is, who can apply and how. For noticeboards and class groups.
Download PDFPDF · 1 page
Date, venue, hours, supervision, consent, food, transport and costs on one page.
Download PDFPDF · 1 page
How to share Hack 876, which students are a good fit, and what the school is and is not asked to do.
Download PDFPDF · slides
A slide presentation introducing Hack 876 to Hillel staff and leadership.
Download PDFCopy and send this address to students, parents or colleagues.
hack876.com/schools/hillel
Questions and answers
Answers about eligibility, applying, preparation, safety, costs and what happens on the day. Type a question in your own words, or choose a topic.
47 questions answered
Hack 876 is a one-day build competition for Jamaican secondary-school students. In teams of 3 to 4, students choose a real problem, build a prototype that addresses it, and present it to a panel of judges.
It takes place in person at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.
A hackathon is an event where small teams build something from scratch in a short, fixed time, then show it to judges. The word comes from “hack” in the sense of putting something together quickly. It has nothing to do with breaking into computers.
A prototype is an early version of an idea that you can show or demonstrate. It does not have to be finished or ready to sell.
For example: a revision tool for a CSEC subject, a planner for school events, a simple game, an app for a problem in your community. The aim is to have something working to show by the end of the day. Not every team gets all the way there, and judges know that.
Hack 876 is run by an organizing team led by Nadani Dixon and Stefen Ewers. Stefen Ewers attended Hillel. It is not run by Hillel Academy.
The organizing team handles applications, consent forms, the event itself and all communication with students and families.
Students in 5th Form through Upper 6th Form (Grades 11 to 13 at Hillel) at one of the schools in the Hack 876 school network, which includes Hillel. The application asks students to choose their school from that list. About 80 students from several schools will take part.
Yes. Any student in the eligible forms can apply, whatever their age. A parent or guardian must sign a consent form before the event.
Some AI tools made by other companies have their own minimum ages. That affects which tools a student may use on the day. It does not affect whether they can take part.
No. Every student applies individually, and places are limited. A teacher’s recommendation does not guarantee a place.
For planning, the organizers have roughly 8 to 12 Hillel students in mind. That figure is an estimate. It is not a quota and not a promise.
Hillel Academy has confirmed that it is taking part in Hack 876. We are working with Hillel’s leadership and Technology Education team, and the faculty liaison is still being confirmed. Hack 876 is organized independently of Hillel Academy, and individual student places are not guaranteed.
No. You do not need Python, C, JavaScript or any other programming language, and you do not need to have built anything before.
Teams need different skills. Someone has to understand the problem, design how the solution looks, build it, and explain it to the judges. Students who draw, write, research, organize or present are as useful as students who code.
Each team builds a prototype. A prototype is an early version of an idea that you can show or demonstrate. It does not have to be finished or ready to sell.
Teams choose their own problem and how to tackle it. Past hackathon projects include websites, apps, AI tools, games, hardware, data projects, automations, agents, interactive experiences. Hack 876 is hands-on: students spend the day building and then presenting, not sitting in lectures.
No training sessions have been arranged. Students do not need to prepare anything in order to apply.
Still to be confirmed: Whether optional workshops or preparation materials will be offered. Any that are arranged will be announced on this page.
No. You can apply on your own, or with friends. If you apply with friends, each of you fills in your own application and lists the others.
Teams are 3 to 4 students. Students without a team are placed in one, and the application asks whether you are happy to be matched with students from another school. Hack 876 is not Hillel against other schools: teams can be mixed.
Still to be confirmed: The final rules for how teams are formed.
Required: your own laptop or other device to build on, with its charger, your school ID and a signed parent or guardian consent form. Hack 876 is not providing laptops or other hardware.
Bring if you have them: a water bottle, headphones, and a notebook and pen.
Still to be confirmed: The final packing list, which will be sent to accepted students.
What to bringTeams can think about ideas beforehand, but building starts on the day, when the clock starts for everyone.
Still to be confirmed: The full rules on work done before the event.
Each student completes the application on the Hack 876 website. Applications are open.
The student fills it in themselves. A parent or teacher does not need to do anything at this stage.
The application form does not ask for a recommendation, so a student at Hillel can submit one directly. Schools in the network are also asked to recommend students they think would enjoy it.
Still to be confirmed: Whether a school recommendation will be required for a place, and how recommendations are weighed. If you are unsure, apply and let your teacher know.
Your name, email, phone number, school, form and age, and optionally your gender. Four short written answers, such as what you enjoy creating and why you want to come. The role you see yourself playing on a team. “Not sure yet” is an option. Whether you already have a team, and whether you are open to teammates from another school. How much you have built before, whether you can bring a laptop, and how you heard about Hack 876. Optional links to a GitHub page, portfolio or project.
There is no test. The written answers are there to show what a student is curious about.
The Hack 876 organizing team reads each application. The written answers matter more than grades or past achievements: the team is looking for curiosity and a willingness to build with other people.
Still to be confirmed: The detailed selection criteria.
Applications are open.
Still to be confirmed: The closing date and the date decisions are sent. Both will be posted on this page.
The student gets a confirmation on screen. The organizing team then reviews applications and contacts each student with a decision. Accepted students receive a consent form for a parent or guardian to sign, plus the details for the day.
Still to be confirmed: When decisions will be sent.
Yes. Using AI is allowed but not required, and a team can do well without it. Whatever a team uses, its members must be able to explain what they built.
Students will only use tools the organizers have approved for the event.
Still to be confirmed: The list of approved tools.
AI tools and age limitsNot every AI tool is open to students under 18. Many AI tools are made by companies that set a minimum age for users, and some are for adults only. Students under 18 will not be asked or allowed to use an adults-only tool at Hack 876.
The organizers are choosing tools that are appropriate for the ages taking part.
Still to be confirmed: Which tools are approved, and the age limit for each.
No. When a company sets a minimum age for its product, a parent’s permission does not change it. Students under 18 will not use adults-only tools at Hack 876, with or without permission.
No. The organizers’ aim is that no student has to buy software or an AI subscription to take part. Students do not need to own or pay for any tool in order to apply.
Still to be confirmed: How approved tools will be provided on the day.
No. There is no such rule. The aim is for every team to have tools its members are old enough to use.
Still to be confirmed: The final rules on accounts and access to tools.
Every participant needs a consent form signed by a parent or guardian. The form is sent to accepted students, so there is nothing to sign at the application stage.
Still to be confirmed: The exact wording of the form and how it is returned.
Saturday, February 20, 2027. This date is tentative. Please do not make firm plans around it until it is confirmed on this page.
It is not overnight. Hack 876 runs for a single day, from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM, and every student goes home that evening.
Still to be confirmed: Times may shift slightly. The final schedule is sent to accepted students.
See the full scheduleStudents arrive, form into teams and are given the challenge. They spend most of the day building, with a break for lunch. In the late afternoon each team shows its work to the judges, the best teams present on stage, and prizes are awarded.
Key times: challenge reveal at 9:35 AM, hacking begins at 9:45 AM, hacking ends at 4:00 PM, finals at 5:45 PM, awards at 6:45 PM.
Yes. Food is provided on the day, and the schedule includes a lunch break. Accepted students will be asked about allergies and dietary needs in advance.
Still to be confirmed: The menu.
Students are supervised by Hack 876 staff and volunteers for the whole day, at the Spanish Court Hotel.
Still to be confirmed: The number of supervising adults and the written safeguarding procedures. Both will be sent to families before the event.
No transport has been arranged, so families should plan to bring students to the Spanish Court Hotel for 8:00 AM and collect them at 7:30 PM.
Still to be confirmed: Drop-off and pick-up procedures, and whether any transport will be arranged.
Every family will be given an on-site contact and the emergency procedure before the event. Before the day, the organizers can be reached at info@hack876.com.
Still to be confirmed: The on-site contact details.
Tell the organizers as early as possible, at info@hack876.com, so arrangements can be made with the venue. Accepted students will also be asked directly.
It costs nothing to apply. The organizers’ aim is that no student has to buy software or tools to build a project, and food is provided on the day.
Still to be confirmed: Whether there is any participation fee. If there is one, it will be published on this page before any student is asked to accept a place.
Every student needs to bring their own laptop or other device to build on, plus a charger. Hack 876 is not providing laptops or other hardware.
A student who does not have a device of their own should plan to borrow one for the day before accepting a place.
Each team demonstrates its project to the judges. They look at 6 things: problem & insight, product & solution, execution, originality, impact, pitch & demo.
A simple idea that works and is explained clearly can beat a complicated one that does not.
There are prizes for first, second and third place, and special awards for Best Design, Boldest Idea, People’s Choice.
Prizes are a bonus. The main reason to take part is the experience of building something.
Still to be confirmed: The prize items listed on the Hack 876 website are provisional and may change.
See the prizesNo. Hack 876 does not offer or promise internships, jobs, scholarships, interviews or placements.
What students do get is a day working next to engineers, mentors and other professionals, a chance to present to judges who work in technology and business, and a project they can describe on a university or job application.
Still to be confirmed: The organizers hope to develop longer-term links with companies, universities and mentors. None are in place.
What students gainStudents meet people who work in technology and can ask them about their studies and careers. There is no formal career programme attached to Hack 876.
Share this page or the student flyer with students in Grades 11 to 13. If you would like to recommend particular students, email their names to the Hack 876 organizing team at info@hack876.com. No form is needed. Each student completes the application on the Hack 876 website. Teachers do not apply on their behalf. The Hack 876 organizing team selects participants and contacts students and families directly.
Curious students who like making things, in any subject. Students taking Computer Science, Information Technology, Maths, the Sciences, Art, Design or Business. Strong writers, presenters, organizers and researchers, as well as programmers. Students who work well with people they have just met.
Hillel is not asked to pay anything, host anything or run anything. Teachers are asked to share this page with eligible students and, if they wish, recommend students.
Permission for students to take part in an outside activity remains a matter for Hillel and for families.
A student ambassador is a Hillel student who helps classmates find out about Hack 876. One or two student ambassadors have been proposed. None has been nominated, and their names will not be published without permission.
The role is small: share the Hack 876 flyer and this page with classmates; encourage eligible students to apply; point classmates to this page when they have questions; pass on questions they cannot answer to the Hack 876 organizing team.
Yes. A student flyer, a parent and guardian information sheet and an overview for teachers can each be downloaded from this page as a one-page PDF.
Email the Hack 876 organizing team at info@hack876.com. For questions about Hillel’s own arrangements, such as school permission to attend, speak to the High School office or Hillel’s Technology Education department.
Contact
For anything about the event, applications, consent, safety or costs, email the organizing team.
info@hack876.com
Organized by Nadani Dixon and Stefen Ewers.
For questions about Hillel’s own arrangements, such as school permission to attend, speak to the High School office or Hillel’s Technology Education department.
This page is updated as details are confirmed. Accepted students and their families are also told directly.