We invite all high school students across Montenegro to apply to participate in the “OpenHack: Code for an Open School” hackathon, organized by the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, with the support of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro.

The hackathon aims to encourage creativity, innovation, and the active participation of high school students in developing solutions that contribute to building a more open, inclusive, safe, and sustainable school community. Participants will have the opportunity to identify challenges they face at school and in their local communities, and propose innovative digital and other approaches to overcoming them.

An open school is an environment where students’ voices are heard, diversity is respected, collaboration and mutual understanding are encouraged, and everyone is given the opportunity to actively participate in school life. It brings together students, teachers, parents, institutions, and the local community to jointly find solutions to challenges that affect the quality of education and the everyday lives of young people.

Participants can develop solutions addressing various aspects of school life, including student participation in decision-making, inclusion, well-being, peer bullying, discrimination, online safety, environmental sustainability, accessibility of school facilities, and cooperation with the local community.

Your task is to identify a specific need among students or within the community and develop an original, creative, and practical solution that can contribute to positive change in the school and its wider environment.

Who Can Apply?

The hackathon is open to all high school students in Montenegro.

Why Participate?

• You will tackle important challenges and create positive change in your school and local community.
• You will have the opportunity to win valuable prizes.
• You will learn new skills and gain hands-on experience with the support of mentors and experts.
• You will meet peers with similar interests and connect with experts from a range of fields.
• You will develop creative and innovative thinking, teamwork, and the ability to present your ideas.
• You will present your solutions and explore opportunities for their further development and implementation.

Rules and Conditions

• Teams should consist of 3 to 5 members. One team member may also be a teacher.
• The solution you develop during the hackathon must be original.
• Applications must be submitted in Montenegrin.
• Multiple teams from the same school may apply.
• Participation in the hackathon is free of charge.
• Detailed application instructions, terms and conditions, and the privacy notice can be found in the document Terms and Conditions

Suggested Hackathon Themes

The hackathon themes cover a range of challenges related to school life and the local community. Teams may choose one of the suggested areas or propose their own topic, based on real needs and problems they identify in their surroundings.

1. Student Participation and Communication with School Management

How can students be empowered to actively participate in decision-making and propose changes at school? How can digital tools, platforms, and other creative approaches improve communication between students, teachers, and school management?

2. Inclusion, Diversity, and a Sense of Belonging

How can we create a school where all students feel accepted and have equal opportunities to participate? What solutions could help reduce discrimination, stereotypes, and exclusion, improve access to information and activities, or encourage connections among students with different needs and interests?

3. Student Health, Well-being, and Support

How can we improve students’ well-being, sense of safety, and feeling of belonging to the school community? What tools, activities, or initiatives could help students manage stress, support their learning, provide peer support, and find reliable information about available support services?

4. Safety, Peer Bullying, and the Digital Environment

How can we help prevent peer bullying, discrimination, and harassment at school and online? What digital solutions, educational tools, or initiatives could promote non-violent communication, empathy, responsible online behaviour, and easier access to support?

5. Environmental Sustainability, Accessibility, and Improving School Facilities

How can we make schools greener, more accessible, and more welcoming places to spend time and learn? Teams can develop solutions to reduce waste and food waste, use water and energy more efficiently, promote the exchange of school supplies, improve schoolyards, create safer routes to school, or make better use of shared spaces.

6. Schools and Local Communities – Working Together to Find Solutions

How can schools better connect with the needs of their local communities and encourage collaboration among students, parents, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, libraries, sports clubs, and other local stakeholders? Ideas could include digital guides to local services, volunteering activities, initiatives to improve neighbourhoods, or solutions that address the specific needs of local residents.

The themes listed above are intended as guidelines, not limitations. Teams are welcome to propose their own topics, provided they address a genuine need within their school or local community and offer an innovative and practical solution.

Hackathon Outcomes

The outcomes of the teams’ work may include mobile applications, digital platforms, games, interactive maps, quizzes, visualizations, educational tools, campaigns, action plans, initiatives to improve school facilities, new models of collaboration, or other innovative solutions.

Regardless of the area they choose, teams should develop solutions that address real user needs, promote the inclusion of diverse groups, respect privacy, safety, and dignity, and have the potential for further development and implementation.

Special attention will be given to the sustainability of the proposed solutions and their potential for implementation in schools and local communities, in collaboration with relevant institutions and partners.

Application Format

The document must be submitted in PDF format and include the following:

• Project Title
• Brief Description of the Proposed Solution (maximum 500 words)
• Technical Specifications, if applicable
• Implementation Steps
• Team Members (Names and Roles)

The presentation must be submitted in PPT format.

Video Pitch (Optional): Teams may submit a short video pitch of up to 3 minutes. The video should briefly present the idea, its significance, the challenge it addresses, and how the proposed solution can contribute to positive change. The video may be uploaded to a platform such as YouTube, with the link submitted alongside the application.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via this link.

Applications for the hackathon are open from 22 October 2026 to 11 November 2026

Mentoring sessions will be held online in late November and early December 2026.

The grand finale is scheduled for 11 December 2026 at the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro.

For any further questions, please contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at +382 68 722 662.

Hackathon Organizers

The hackathon is organized by the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, with the support of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro.

The hackathon is being implemented within the framework of two projects. The first is the joint European Union and Council of Europe project “Quality Education for All,” implemented under the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye programme, which aims to improve the quality of education and foster a democratic school environment.

The second is the project “Prevention of Violence in Schools in Montenegro,” supported by funding from Germany and focused on strengthening systems for the prevention of and protection of children against peer violence in schools.

By promoting democratic, ethical, and participatory principles, these projects support active student participation and strengthen cooperation among schools, parents, and local communities in addressing the challenges schools face.