---
title: Hackathon materials for Semantic Kernel
description: Host your own Semantic Kernel hackathon with these materials.
author: moonbox3
ms.topic: sample
ms.author: evmattso
ms.date: 07/11/2023
ms.service: semantic-kernel 
---
# Running your own Hackathon


With these materials you can run your own Semantic Kernel Hackathon, a hands-on event where you can learn and create AI solutions using Semantic Kernel tools and resources. 

By participating and running a Semantic Kernel hackathon, you will have the opportunity to:

- Explore the features and capabilities of Semantic Kernel and how it can help you solve problems with AI
- Work in teams to brainstorm and develop your own AI plugins or apps using Semantic Kernel SDK and services
- Present your results and get feedback from other participants 
- Have fun!



## Download the materials
To run your own hackathon, you will first need to download the materials. You can download the zip file here:

> [!div class="nextstepaction"]
> [Download hackathon materials](https://aka.ms/sk/hack/materials)

Once you have unzipped the file, you will find the following resources:
- Hackathon sample agenda
- Hackathon prerequisites
- Hackathon facilitator presentation
- Hackathon team template
- Helpful links

## Preparing for the hackathon
Before the hackathon, you and your peers will need to download and install software needed for Semantic Kernel to run. Additionally, you should already have API keys for either OpenAI or Azure OpenAI and access to the Semantic Kernel repo. Please refer to the prerequisites document in the facilitator materials for the complete list of tasks participants should complete before the hackathon.

You should also familiarize yourself with the available documentation and tutorials. This will ensure that you are knowledgeable of core Semantic Kernel concepts and features so that you can help others during the hackathon. The following resources are highly recommended:

- [What is Semantic Kernel?](../overview/index.md)
- [Semantic Kernel LinkedIn training video](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/introducing-semantic-kernel-building-ai-based-apps/introducing-semantic-kernel)

## Running the hackathon
The hackathon will consist of six main phases: welcome, overview, brainstorming, development, presentation, and feedback. 

Here is an approximate agenda and structure for each phase but feel free to modify this based on your team:

Length (Minutes)  | Phase       | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ----- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Day 1** |
 15  | Welcome/Introductions  | The hackathon facilitator will welcome the participants, introduce the goals and rules of the hackathon, and answer any questions. |
| 30  | Overview of Semantic Kernel  | The facilitator will guide you through a live presentation that will give you an overview of AI and why it is important for solving problems in today's world. You will also see demos of how Semantic Kernel can be used for different scenarios.                           |
| 5   | Choose your Track | Review slides in the deck for the specific track you’ll pick for the hackathon. |
| 120 | Brainstorming | The facilitator will help you form teams based on your interests or skill levels. You will then brainstorm ideas for your own AI plugins or apps using design thinking techniques. |     
| 20 | Responsible AI | Spend some time reviewing Responsible AI principles and ensure your proposal follows these principles. |
| 60 | Break/Lunch    | Lunch or Break |
| 360+ | Development/Hack | You will use Semantic Kernel SDKs tools, and resources to develop, test, and deploy your projects. This could be for the rest of the day or over multiple days based on the time available and problem to be solved. |
| **Day 2** |
|5 | Welcome Back | Reconnect for Day 2 of the Semantic Kernel Hackathon |
| 20 | What did you learn? | Review what you’ve learned so far in Day 1 of the Hackathon. |   
| 120 | Hack | You will use Semantic Kernel SDKs tools, and resources to develop, test, and deploy your projects. This could be for the rest of the day or over multiple days based on the time available and problem to be solved. |     
| 120 | Demo | Each team will present their results using a PowerPoint template provided. You will have about 15 minutes per team to showcase your project, demonstrate how it works, and explain how it solves a problem with AI. You will also receive feedback from other participants. |     
 5 | Thank you   | The hackathon facilitator will close the hackathon.  |
| 30 | Feedback   | Each team can share their feedback on the hackathon and Semantic Kernel with the group and fill out the [Hackathon Exit Survey](https://forms.office.com/r/01d2pi2g4r). |         

## Following up after the hackathon
We hope you enjoyed running a Semantic Kernel Hackathon and the overall experience! We would love to hear from you about what worked well, what didn't, and what we can improve for future content. Please take a few minutes to fill out the [hackathon facilitator survey](https://forms.office.com/r/01d2pi2g4r) and share your feedback and suggestions with us.

If you want to continue developing your AI plugins or projects after the hackathon, you can find more resources and support for Semantic Kernel.
 
- [Semantic Kernel blog](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/semantic-kernel/)
- [Semantic Kernel GitHub repo](https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel)

Thank you for your engagement and creativity during the hackathon. We look forward to seeing what you create next with Semantic Kernel!