Acton Flood Solutions Hackathon

Calendar

See the Hackathon Check-in + Syllabus for all dates and expectations. 

  • August 19, 2025 Launch of Hackathon - Acton TV tour of flood-prone area (Heath Hen Meadow) with ice cream from West Side Creamery

  • September 30, 2025 AB STEAM Hackathon Launch on Zoom

  • October 7, 2025 from 5-6pm First Team Check In

  • November 4, 2025 from 5pm-6pm Second Team Check In

  • December 9, 2025 from 5pm-6pm Third Team Check In

  • January 6, 2026 from 5pm-6pm Fourth Team Check In

    Upcoming Deadlines

  • Tuesday, January 13 from 5pm-6pm Final Check In

    Hello Hackathon Teams!

    Final Check-In meeting is tonight, Tuesday January 13 from 5-6 pm EST. Final Documents (Solution, Deliverable, and Write Up) are due on Friday, January 23rd by 4pm. The information to join is included below. 

    Join Zoom Meeting 
    https://actonma.zoom.us/j/85785217286

    Meeting ID: 857 8521 7286 

    Join instructions 
    https://actonma.zoom.us/meetings/85785217286/invitations?signature=A3Zqj9h4WBYkw5aTzE7SLyyitfmguQrJeCUGOAD2bc4

  • January 23, 2026 by 4pm – Final Documents (Solution, Deliverable and Write Up) for Hackathon teams to submit Acton Flood Solutions. See slide 6 of the Hackathon Check-in + Syllabus.

  • February 5, 2026 – Hackathon Presentation Due Date from 5pm-7:00pm at Danny's Place in West Acton. Hackathoners, family, friends and community welcome. AB STEAM Meet-up + Hackathon Solutions Presentation (5:30pm-6:15pm). Light refreshments.

AB STEAM Hackathon

Write-up and Presentation Overview

You’ll present your ideas in both:

● A write-up on January 23 that addresses the following:

  • What was the scenario you chose to solve? Where can it be implemented?

  • What did you consider when developing a proposed solution?

  • What solution did you choose and why?

  • What will it cost to implement?

  • How does your proposed solution address flooding?

  • How is your proposed solution sustainable? How will it withstand future changes in climate and ecological conditions? How is your solution environmentally friendly?

  • How will your proposed solution impact Acton’s community both ecologically and socially?

  • What needs to happen to implement your solution? (e.g funding, permits, community survey)?

● A tabletop presentation on February 5 or prototype mock-up (poster, model, digital visualization, etc.) to be presented at the final showcase at Danny’s Place.

Dear Hackathon Participants,

Your resources to develop creative solutions to the flooding problems of Acton are listed below. Review these resources and use them to locate, build, and develop your solution.

The Challenge

Your team is tasked with answering the following question:

What are long-term, sustainable solutions to mitigate the impacts of flooding within the Town of Acton?

Your solution should help make Acton more resilient in the face of more frequent and intense storm events, while protecting public safety, ecological health, and community infrastructure.

Acton TV "AB STEAM Student Hackathon Launch" Video

This video includes a Hackathon overview, an introduction to Hackathon team leaders, and a walking tour of the Heath Hen conservation area, a flood-prone area.

*Required viewing for Hackathon participants

Acton TV "Flooding in Acton" Video

This video includes Acton town employees talking about flooding in Acton, a tour of several of Acton’s flood-prone areas, and a discussion of AB STEAM Flood Solutions Hackathon.

*Required viewing for Hackathon participants