Hackathon Code of Conduct

At Code Institute, our hackathons are fast-moving, collaborative events that thrive on active participation and teamwork. They provide exciting opportunities to learn and innovate, but the pace can be intense. We encourage participants to consider whether this environment aligns with their personal preferences and availability. Ensuring you're comfortable with the demands of the event will help you and your team make the most of the experience, while maintaining a mindful approach to your well-being and that of others.

  1. Adherence to Code Institute Policies and Procedures: By participating, you agree to follow this Code of Conduct and accept all decisions made by Code Institute regarding violations. All decisions are final. All participants must, in addition to this Code of Conduct, abide by and respect all additional relevant policies and procedures of Code Institute and the Code Institute Community, including the Community Guidelines and Code of Conduct and the Safeguarding Policy. Please be sure to familiarise yourself with these documents.
  2. Safeguarding: If you have any safeguarding concerns, report them to a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or via the Safeguarding Referral Form. All concerns will be handled in line with our Safeguarding Policy.
  3. PREVENT Duty: Any behaviour promoting extremism or radicalisation is prohibited. If you witness or suspect any attempts to draw participants into extremist views, please report this immediately to our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) or via the Safeguarding Referral Form.
  4. Appropriate Behaviour: Participants must respect all participants, facilitators, HackTeam, and staff. Discrimination, harassment, or abusive language based on any protected characteristic is strictly prohibited.
  5. Participation and Communication: Only register if you can commit to a minimum of 3 hours per day. Team communication must take place within the team Slack channel to ensure visibility and support from facilitators.
  6. Withdrawal: If you need to leave the event, inform your team or the Community Team. Failure to notify may result in disqualification from future hackathons.
  7. Teamwork and Well-being: Teams must ensure that all members can contribute and feel valued. Experienced members should offer guidance to less experienced teammates. Your well-being is important to us. Take regular breaks and take a step back as needed. Please reach out to the Community Team if you feel overwhelmed.
  8. Reporting Violations: Report violations of this Code of Conduct, the Community Guidelines, or Safeguarding Policy to the Community Team. For safeguarding issues, contact a DSL or complete the referral form.
  9. Judging and Feedback: Judges’ decisions are final. Due to time constraints, we are unable to provide detailed feedback on individual projects or scores.
  10. Project Ownership and Data Protection: Participants retain ownership and legal responsibility of their projects. By submitting, participants grant Code Institute a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual licence to use, display, and showcase the project for educational, marketing, and community purposes. Participants must ensure compliance with data protection laws (including GDPR) in their submissions. Code Institute will manage all submitted data in accordance with its privacy policy.
  11. Content Standards: Projects must be free of harmful, graphic, or inappropriate material and must adhere to relevant laws. Violating projects will be removed, and teams may be disqualified. This is at the complete discretion of Code Institute.