Join Youth Hacking 4 Freedom 2027

Three teenagers standing in a hackerspace — Graphic by Lisa Schmidt, CC-BY-SA 4.0 or later

What is Youth Hacking 4 Freedom?

Are you up for a challenge? Do you have an idea you would love to turn into reality? Youth Hacking 4 Freedom (YH4F) is a European programming competition that gives teenagers the opportunity to create their own Free Software projects, learn new skills, meet like-minded young people from across Europe, and connect with experts from the Free Software community.

Join YH4F 2027! The sixth round of YH4F will start on 1 January and registration is open until the end of the programming period, 30 June. Every teenager living in Europe who is between 14 and 18 years old is welcome to join us in this competition. Be part of the next YH4F edition!

YH4F 2027 will run for six months (01.01.2027 till 30.06.2027). During those months, you have the chance to work on your Free Software project, while learning more about Free Software, licensing, and documentation. After submitting your project at the end of the programming period our international jury, with luminaries from different software fields, will evaluate your work and decide on this year's winners!

We are dedicated to offering an inclusive environment in the YH4F, and we would like to encourage teenagers of all genders to join! We will make sure everyone enjoys the process and leaves this competition with new knowledge and a smile.

How to start?

There is no set challenge or topic for the software you should develop. Embrace your imagination and create something that interests you most. It can address an everyday problem you have, or it can simply be fun. It can be a standalone program that you write from scratch, or you can modify and combine existing programs. For inspiration you can have a look at our FAQ.

The only restriction for your project is that it must be Free Software. This means that others can use, study, share, and improve the code in the future. Do not worry, if you do not have an idea yet! We will provide help with finding a project idea!

If you are not yet sure whether you want to take part, or if you have any questions about registration, you are welcome to contact us at yh4f@fsfe.org.

A computer screen displaying the source code of one of the projects presented at Youth Hacking 4 Freedom — Code from one of the projects presented at Youth Hacking 4 Freedom

Present your program to the jury

Your software project will be in good hands, as it will be evaluated by Free Software experts. After you submit your program, you will have the chance to present it to the YH4F jury members. This is a nice opportunity for you to discuss your idea and achievements with experienced people in the field.

Four people standing in front of a seated audience, presenting their project 'Eventfully' at the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom awards ceremony — The team behind 'Eventfully' presenting their project at the YH4F awards ceremony

Awards ceremony and six winning prizes

Based on the jury’s evaluation, the winners will be determined and announced. The six winning projects will be awarded cash between €4,096 and €1,024 each. The awards ceremony of YH4F takes place in Brussels for a full weekend at the end of October. During the ceremony the participants have the chance to connect with other people from Europe, present your project to your families and peers while celebrating your achievements.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need more information before registering? We addressed some frequently asked questions here. However, if you have any questions on the Youth Hacking 4 Freedom contest you can always reach us via email at yh4f@fsfe.org. We will be happy to hear from you!