Hack Club — Stardance (with AMD, NASA, GitHub Education)
Hardware and developer-tool rewards earned with challenge coins; no cash prize value published · Hack Club with AMD (partners: NASA, GitHub Education) · deadline 2026-09-30
A free global online summer build program for high-school students ages 13–18. From June 1 through September 30, 2026, participants publish open-source technical projects, log verified work, receive peer ratings, earn Stardust, and exchange it for donated hardware and other rewards. It is not a cash grant and has no judges or fixed winner cohort.
Tier 3teen-builderssummer-challengeages-13-18AMD
ApplyOfficial siteOpen in the live directory
Key facts
| Funder | Hack Club with AMD (partners: NASA, GitHub Education) |
| Amount | Hardware and developer-tool rewards earned with challenge coins; no cash prize value published |
| Deadline | 2026-09-30 |
| Decision time | There are no judges or winners. Eligible participants earn Stardust as work is verified and peer-rated; no separate award-decision timetable is published. |
| Eligibility | High-school students ages 13–18 can participate online worldwide. Qualifying work must be a public open-source technical project; customs charges may apply outside the US. The separate July 2026 AMD in-person event was limited to qualifying US participants. |
| Restrictions | This is an activity-earned, non-cash reward program rather than a judged or reimbursable grant. Participants publish open-source projects, log verified work, receive peer ratings, earn Stardust, and redeem only currently available store items; item prices vary by region. |
| Status | open |
Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.
Application process
- Register on the live Stardance site
- Build and publicly ship an open-source technical project
- Log project hours and receive peer feedback
- Earn Stardust based on verified work and ratings
- Redeem Stardust for region-available rewards; log 30 verified hours for a certificate
Background
Hack Club runs Stardance with support from NASA, AMD, GitHub and other partners. The live page reported 50,330 teens already building when checked, while comparable predecessor programs recorded 5,000+ participants, 250,000+ submitted build hours and 64,257 prizes shipped across 48 US states and 129 countries.
How the application really works
Register → publish any qualifying open-source technical project → log verified hours → receive teen peer ratings → earn Stardust → redeem region-priced rewards. Thirty verified hours earn a certificate.
Tips
- Publish a real, publicly viewable open-source build
- Log work accurately because the program verifies hours
- Peer ratings affect Stardust, so make the project understandable and usable
- Check regional reward pricing and possible customs before choosing a target
Watch out for
- No cash is awarded
- Projects count only if open-source
- Store prices may vary by region and customs may apply outside the US
- The September 30, 2026 end date is a program end, not a grant-panel deadline
Track record
- 50,330 teens shown as participating on the live Stardance page when checked
- Comparable predecessor programs: 5,000+ high-school participants and 250,000+ submitted build hours
- 64,257 prizes shipped across 48 US states and 129 countries in comparable predecessor programs
Not applicable as an acceptance-rate measure: the official page says there are no judges and no winners.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this actionable now?
- open. Runs June 1–September 30, 2026. Global online participation is distinct from the US-only AMD Advancing AI event. Official rules checked 2026-08-10.
- What is the real economic value?
- Stardust-redeemable donated hardware, tools and other store items; no fixed monetary value
- Who is eligible?
- High-school students ages 13–18 can participate online worldwide. Qualifying work must be a public open-source technical project; customs charges may apply outside the US. The separate July 2026 AMD in-person event was limited to qualifying US participants.
- How does selection work?
- Register on the live Stardance site; Build and publicly ship an open-source technical project; Log project hours and receive peer feedback; Earn Stardust based on verified work and ratings; Redeem Stardust for region-available rewards; log 30 verified hours for a certificate. There are no judges or winners. Eligible participants earn Stardust as work is verified and peer-rated; no separate award-decision timetable is published.
- What burden and restrictions apply?
- This is an activity-earned, non-cash reward program rather than a judged or reimbursable grant. Participants publish open-source projects, log verified work, receive peer ratings, earn Stardust, and redeem only currently available store items; item prices vary by region.
- What track-record evidence exists?
- 50,330 teens shown as participating on the live Stardance page when checked; Comparable predecessor programs: 5,000+ high-school participants and 250,000+ submitted build hours; 64,257 prizes shipped across 48 US states and 129 countries in comparable predecessor programs. Not applicable as an acceptance-rate measure: the official page says there are no judges and no winners.
- Which facts remain unresolved?
- funding_in_kind_value
Related grants
Sources
- stardance.hackclub.com — Official live challenge page: global reach, participation count, age rule, open-source requirement, reward model, certificate, contact and prior-program outcomes (checked 2026-08-10)
- www.amd.com/en/blogs/2026/amd-and-hack-club-launch-stardance.html — Official partner announcement: 2026 dates, project categories, partners, reward examples and US in-person event distinction (checked 2026-08-10)