Hackathon materials for Semantic Kernel

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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:

Download hackathon 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

Hackathon materials

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:

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
15 Welcome The hackathon facilitator will welcome the participants, introduce the goals and rules of the hackathon, and answer any questions.
60 Overview The facilitator will guide you through either a pre-recorded video or a live presentation that will give you an overview of AI and why it is important for solving problems in today's world. Along with an overview of Semantic Kernel and its features, such the kernel, planner, plugins, memories and more. You will also see demos of how Semantic Kernel can be used for different scenarios.
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.
360+ Development 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.
60 Presentation 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.
30 Feedback Each team can share their feedback on the hackathon and Semantic Kernel with the group and fill out the Hackathon Exit Survey.

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 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.

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