Frontier Cascadia
Where the next generation of Pacific Northwest builders ship something real.
Get notified when registration opens
Build what's
next.
Frontier Cascadia is not a classroom exercise. It is not a science fair. It is one day to build something real. Software that solves a problem, tells a story, or changes how someone sees the world. The best thing you could get out of a weekend.
We bring together the most technically ambitious high school students in the Pacific Northwest, put them in a room with the resources they need, and ask them to ship solutions in 12 hours.
Then we put them in front of judges who take them seriously. No participation trophies. No grade inflation. The standard is whether it works.
Built by students,
for students.
The story behind Frontier Cascadia is pretty simple. Many high school students in the Pacific Northwest are genuinely good at building things. They have ideas. They're technical. What they don't have is the space, the time, the tools, or the chance to sit in a room with people who've actually shipped products and learn from them. Most of the time, the gap between a good idea and a real project is just a runway.
Frontier Cascadia is how we're closing that gap. It's a one-day hackathon on September 19 in Seattle. 200+ high school students from across the PNW get 12 hours to build real software from scratch. Entry is free, and prizes run $10k+: everything from a grand prize to free credits to company- and track-specific awards and themes. Projects get judged by engineers and professionals from Seattle's tech community on a real rubric.
Frontier Cascadia is a Washington nonprofit with a pending 501(c)(3).
Co-founder of HydraSmart, an AI-driven hydration tracker for pregnant and postpartum women. Provisional patent filed pro bono via SeedIP. ML Software Engineering Intern at VoiceGain.AI on healthcare voicebot systems. Computer vision research scholar at Pioneer Academics under Prof. Susan Fox. Gold TOC Bid and National Circuit quarterfinalist at the Cal Invitational (Berkeley) in Extemporaneous Speaking.
Leads scientific strategy and clinical execution for next-generation implantable medical devices, with global experience scaling research programs from concept to patient.
Building tools and services that help organizations and learners become measurably more innovative. Previously at Microsoft; now focused on scaling creativity and innovation at the institutional level.
Working at the frontier of AI and knowledge in a post-authenticity era. Researches how AI systems read people and careers, and where those systems get it wrong.
$10,000+ in prizes
Real money to take your project beyond the hackathon. Build it here, launch it everywhere.
+ $5,000+ in cloud credits, API access, and developer tools
distributed to all participants at check-in.
Show up.
Build.
Ship.
Bring an idea, form a team, or hack solo. We handle the rest.
Tangible projects
No slideshows without something to show. If it doesn't work, it's not done. Code, hardware, whatever. Just make it real.
Industry sponsors on site
Top Seattle tech companies will have booths, run workshops, and be around all day to answer questions.
Real feedback
Present to judges from big tech, universities, and VCs who build products for a living. Expect honest questions.
Everything is free
Meals, caffeine, swag, and cloud credits are on us. Just bring your machine.
Common questions
Who can participate?
Any high school student in grades 9 through 12 in the Seattle metro area and broader Pacific Northwest. You don't need to know how to code yet, but you should be ready to learn fast.
Do I need a team?
No. You can come solo and find teammates at the event, bring your friends, or hack alone. Teams can be up to 4 people.
What should I bring?
Your laptop, a charger, and any hardware you want to use. We provide food, drinks, wifi, and power strips.
Is it really free?
Yes. Completely free. Meals, snacks, swag, cloud credits, all of it. We want cost to be zero barrier to showing up.
What can I build?
Anything that runs. Web apps, mobile apps, hardware projects, games, AI tools, browser extensions. If it works, it counts.
Do I need experience?
Some coding experience helps, but we have seen beginners build incredible things with industry experts available to answer questions and sheer determination. Don't count yourself out.
Ready to
build?
September 19, 2026 / Seattle, WA / 12 hours
Registration opens May 20th. Spots are limited.
Get in touch
Have a question about the event, sponsoring, or anything else? Drop us a message.