Acton Flood Solutions Hackathon

AB STEAM 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 at 5-6pm First Team Check-In

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

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

    Next Check-in Meeting

    Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 5:00-6:00pm

    Here is the Zoom information for the next check-in meeting:

    Topic: Hackathon December Check In Meeting

    Time: Dec. 9, 2025 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

    Join Zoom Meeting

    https://actonma.zoom.us/j/83615152467

    Meeting ID: 836 1515 2467

  • January 6, 2026 at 5pm-6pm Check-in-Questions from the Teams

  • January 23, 2026 – Write-up due date for Hackathon teams to submit Acton Flood Solution (solution, deliverable and write-up). See slide 6 of the Hackathon Check-in + Syllabus, “Final documents (solution, deliverable, and write up) need to be shared with us by January 23rd” 

  • February 5, 2026 – Presentation due date at 5pm-7:30pm, AB STEAM Meet-up + Hackathon Solutions Presentation (6pm-7pm) at Danny's Place in West Acton (Hackathoners, family + friends, community welcome) light refreshments

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