THE BRACE COMPETITION 2026: CODE THE CHANGE

"We are continually faced with great opportunities brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems."

John W. Gardner

A Message To Every Participant

This competition is your opportunity to use technology to solve a real problem that matters to you. You do not need to build something perfect. You need to build something meaningful, and be able to explain why you built it, how it works, and what difference it could make.

Learn More

Competition Timeline

June

1 2026

Registration / Competition Begins

July

10 2026

Registration / Competition Ends

July

13 2026

Review of Entries

July

31 2026

End of Review

August

1 2026

Announcement of Winners

What Problem Would You Like To Solve?

Education

Improve how people learn, teach, or access knowledge

Power & Energy

Address electricity access, energy saving, or renewable alternatives

Environment & Cleanliness

Reduce waste, improve hygiene, or protect the natural world

Safety & Community Awareness

Keep people informed, protected, or better connected in their community

BEGINNER (Age 5-9)

Tool: Scratch

For students who are new to coding. You will be judged on creativity and problem-solving, not technical complexity.

MID (Age 9-12

Tool: App Inventor

For students with some coding experience who can build a functional mobile app. You will be judged on functionality, design, and how well your app solves the problem.

SENIOR (Age 12-19)

Tool: Python or Web

For students with solid coding experience. You will be judged on technical quality, code structure, and the depth of your solution.

How To Submit

01

Visit the official submission link below.

02

Enter your full name, age, category, school (if applicable), and contact details.

03

Enter your project title, the problem area you chose, a description of the problem you identified, and an explanation of your solution.

04

Submit your project link or file, your presentation slides, and your video pitch. Make sure all links are set to public and all files are accessible before submitting.

05

The form closes at midnight on 10th July 2026. No late submissions will be accepted under any circumstances.

What You Must Submit

Project

The working project is built in Scratch, App Inventor, Python, or Web. It must run. It must be your own work.

Presentation Slides

A slide deck explaining your project, the problem, your solution, and how it works. See scoring criteria for what to include.

Video Pitch

A 1 to 3-minute video where you explain and demonstrate your project in your own words. No reading from a script.

What Our Judges Look For?

01

20%

Problem

The project addresses a real problem in one of the four problem areas.

02

20%

Project Functionality

The project does something, it is not just a static image or animation with no purpose.

03

15%

Quality & Structure

The project should be well structured and also appropraite use of necessary features.

04

15%

Innovation

The solution goes beyond a tutorial or template. You must have made decisions that reflect your own thinking about the problem.

05

15%

Presentation Slides

Slides clearly explain the problem being solved and why it matters. Solution is described in simple, clear language, no unnecessary jargon

06

15%

Video Pitch

Video is between 1 and 3 minutes long, not longer. Student clearly introduces themselves and their project. Student explains the problem they are solving in their own words.

Rewards & Recognition

Every Participant who submits a complete project gets a Certificate of Participation, printed and presented at the Brace Conference or sent digitally

2nd

Position Per Category

Certificate of Excellence
Feature on Rubies Technologies' social media and website
'Code the Change 2026' digital badge
One-on-one mentorship with a leading technology professional
Letter of recommendation on Rubies Technologies letterhead

1st

Position Per Category

Rubies Innovation Award Plaque
Feature on Rubies Technologies' social media and website
'Code the Change 2026 Winner' digital badge
3-month scholarship to Rubies Technologies, full training and mentorship included
Letter of recommendation on Rubies Technologies letterhead
Special 'Code the Change Champion 2026' title
Recognition on the Brace Conference stage

3rd

Position Per Category

Certificate of Excellence
Feature on Rubies Technologies' social media and website
'Code the Change 2026' digital badge

Competition Rules

1. Your work must be original: You may not submit a project copied from a tutorial, YouTube video, or another student. Judges may ask you to explain your code or design decisions. If you cannot explain it, it cannot count as your work.

2. You must work in your own category: Choose the category that matches your skill level. Submitting in a lower category to gain an advantage is not allowed.

3. Your project must address one of the four problem areas: Projects that do not address Education, Environment & Cleanliness, Power & Energy, or Safety & Community Awareness will not be accepted.

4. All three submissions are required: Projects, slides, and a video pitch must all be submitted. Missing any one of them will result in disqualification.

5. Your video must be your own voice: The video pitch must feature you explaining the project. Pre-recorded voice-overs by someone else are not permitted.

6. Submission deadline is final: No late submissions will be accepted. Competition closes 17th July 2026.

Ethical Guidelines

All content must be respectful and appropriate for all ages
No plagiarism: all code, design, and ideas must be your own
If you used an external resource, tutorial, or tool, acknowledge it clearly in your slides
Projects that promote harmful, offensive, or inappropriate content will be disqualified immediately

Important Notes Before You Submit

Test your project thoroughly before submitting: what works on your device must also work when judges access it
Set all project links to public, private links cannot be accessed by judges
Keep a backup copy of all your work, Rubies Technologies is not responsible for lost submissions
Submit early, do not wait until the last day. Technical issues close to the deadline are your responsibility
If you have questions before submission, contact us through the official Rubies Technologies channels

We cannot wait to see what you build.

Every great solution starts with one person deciding to try.

Code the Change.

THE BRACE COMPETITION 2026: CODE THE CHANGE​

A Message To Every Participant

Competition Timeline

June

1

2026

Registration / Competition Begins​

July

10

2026

Registration / Competition Ends​

July

13

2026

Review of Entries

July

31

2026

End of Review

August

1

2026

Announcement of Winners

What Problem Would You Like To Solve?

Education

Improve how people learn, teach, or access knowledge

Power & Energy

Address electricity access, energy saving, or renewable alternatives

Environment & Cleanliness

Reduce waste, improve hygiene, or protect the natural world

Safety & Community Awareness

Keep people informed, protected, or better connected in their community

Categories

BEGINNER (Age 5-9)

Tool: Scratch

MID (Age 9-12

Tool: App Inventor

SENIOR (Age 12-19)

Tool: Python or Web

How To Submit

01

Visit the official submission link below.

02

Enter your full name, age, category, school (if applicable), and contact details.

03

Enter your project title, the problem area you chose, a description of the problem you identified, and an explanation of your solution.

04

Submit your project link or file, your presentation slides, and your video pitch. Make sure all links are set to public and all files are accessible before submitting.

05

The form closes at midnight on 10th July 2026. No late submissions will be accepted under any circumstances.

What You Must Submit

Project

The working project is built in Scratch, App Inventor, Python, or Web. It must run. It must be your own work.

Presentation Slides

A slide deck explaining your project, the problem, your solution, and how it works. See scoring criteria for what to include.

Video Pitch

A 1 to 3-minute video where you explain and demonstrate your project in your own words. No reading from a script.

What Our Judges Look For?

01

20%

Problem

The project addresses a real problem in one of the four problem areas.

02

20%

Project Functionality

The project does something, it is not just a static image or animation with no purpose.

03

15%

Quality & Structure

The project should be well structured and also appropraite use of necessary features.

04

15%

Innovation

The solution goes beyond a tutorial or template. You must have made decisions that reflect your own thinking about the problem.

05

15%

Presentation Slides

Slides clearly explain the problem being solved and why it matters. Solution is described in simple, clear language, no unnecessary jargon

06

15%

THE BRACE COMPETITION 2026: CODE THE CHANGE

Registration / Competition Begins

Registration / Competition Ends