2027 Environmental Coding Competition

1. Register for the competition between November 1 and November 30, 2026.
2. Choose an environmental issue or solution that interests you and create an original coding project.
3. Develop and improve your project during the competition period. You may use an age-appropriate coding platform or programming language.
4. Submit your completed project by February 15, 2027. Submission instructions will be provided to registered participants.
5. Finalists may be asked to present their project and demonstrate their understanding of the code they created.
6. Winners will be announced by February 28, 2027.

Younger participants may use age-appropriate visual coding tools and may demonstrate or explain their project by video.

The competition is open to participants ages 5–16. Entries will be organized into three age categories:

Junior: Ages 5–7
Intermediate: Ages 8–12
Advanced: Ages 13–16

Participants will be evaluated within their age category, with expectations appropriate to their age and experience level.

Participants may create their project using an age-appropriate coding platform or programming language.

Accepted coding platforms include: ScratchJr, Scratch, Microsoft MakeCode, JavaScript, Python, C#, Unity, and Godot.

Other coding platforms may be considered if approved by the organizers before submission.

Younger participants may use age-appropriate visual coding tools and may demonstrate or explain their project by video.

Each participant may submit only one project.

Every project must relate to an environmental issue, challenge, or solution.

Participants are encouraged to choose a topic they genuinely care about.

Possible themes include:

• Climate and climate change
• Clean or renewable energy
• Recycling and waste reduction
• Water conservation
• Wildlife and habitat protection
• Pollution
• Sustainable communities
• Food waste
• Transportation and emissions
• Protecting forests, oceans, lakes, or other natural environments

These are examples only. Participants may choose another environmental topic.

The project should use coding to educate, raise awareness, explore a problem, demonstrate an idea, or propose a solution.

Projects will be reviewed within their competition category.

Judges will consider:

• Idea & Creativity — 20 points
• Environmental Theme & Impact — 20 points
• Use of Coding — 25 points
• Overall Execution — 15 points
• Understanding of the Project & Code — 20 points

Total: 100 points

Expectations will be appropriate for the participant's age and experience level.

Participants must understand and take ownership of their submitted project. Age-appropriate help, guidance, and AI assistance are permitted, subject to the requirements below.

Finalists may be asked to:

• Explain their project
• Demonstrate how it works
• Explain parts of their code
• Answer questions about how they created it

For our youngest participants (ages 5–7), judging and presentation expectations will be age-appropriate. They may use visual coding tools and may demonstrate or explain their project by video.

AI Assistance & Code Understanding

Participants may use AI tools while developing their project. Any use of AI must be disclosed when the project is submitted, including which AI tool(s) were used and how they were used.

Using AI will not automatically reduce a participant's score or disqualify a project. However, every participant must understand the project and the code they submit, whether the code was written independently, created with assistance, or generated in part using AI.

Participants must be able to:

• Explain what their code does
• Explain how important parts of the code work
• Answer questions about their project and code
• Make reasonable changes to their code when asked by the judges

A participant who cannot adequately explain or modify their submitted code may be disqualified, regardless of whether AI was used.

Recognition:

• 1st place in each competition category
• 2nd place in each competition category
• 3rd place in each competition category
• Certificate of participation for all eligible participants
• Prizes to be announced

Each participant must submit their completed project by February 15, 2027.

The submission must include:

• Project title
• A short description of the project and the environmental issue, challenge, or solution it addresses
• A link to the completed project, where applicable
• The project file or source code, where applicable
• A short explanation of how the project works
• The coding platform or programming language used
• AI-use disclosure

AI-use disclosure:

• Participants must indicate whether AI tools were used while creating the project.
• If AI was used, the participant must identify the AI tool(s) and briefly explain how they were used, such as for brainstorming, learning, debugging, generating or modifying code, creating artwork, or other assistance.
• For participants ages 5–7, age-appropriate submissions are permitted. A parent or guardian may assist with uploading or submitting the project, and a short video may be used where appropriate.
• Submission instructions and the submission method will be emailed to registered participants before the submission period opens.
• Only one project may be submitted per participant.

The competition is open to participants ages 5–16.

Participants will compete in one of three age categories:

• Junior: Ages 5–7
• Intermediate: Ages 8–12
• Advanced: Ages 13–16

Competition rules:

• Registration is free.
• Each participant may submit only one project.
• Projects must relate to an environmental issue, challenge, or solution.
• The submitted project must represent the participant's own understanding and work.
• Age-appropriate help and guidance from parents, teachers, mentors, or others is permitted.
• AI tools are permitted, but their use must be disclosed when the project is submitted.
• Participants must be able to explain their project and demonstrate an understanding of the code they submit.
• Finalists may be asked to make a reasonable change to their code as part of the judging process.
• A participant who cannot adequately explain or modify their submitted code may be disqualified.
• Projects will be judged within the participant's age category using age-appropriate expectations.
• All submissions must be received by the published submission deadline.

Code Ninjas Stouffville reserves the right to review submissions for eligibility and compliance with the competition rules.

Winners will be recognized separately in each of the three age categories:

• Junior: Ages 5–7
• Intermediate: Ages 8–12
• Advanced: Ages 13–16

In each category, awards will be presented for:

• 1st Place
• 2nd Place
• 3rd Place

All eligible participants who submit a completed project will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Additional prizes will be awarded to the winners. Prize details will be announced before the project submission deadline.

Winners will be announced on February 28, 2027.