Potential total compensation varies by market, experience, and level.
Get noticed
By Nerdy engineering leaders
Demo Day
Present to leadership
$0
To enter
Why enter the Nerdy AI Hackathon Challenge
More than a hackathon. A shortcut into a career.
Open a door
The real prize is visibility. Great submissions can open the door to AI Product Engineer roles at Nerdy — hiring now in the US, Latin America and India.
Skip the resume pile
No cover letter, no take-home, no six-round loop. You’re judged on what you actually shipped.
Build something real
Challenges mirror actual problems we're solving for millions of learners. Your work ships as a portfolio piece — and might ship to production.
Demo to leadership
Finalists present live at Demo Day to Nerdy’s executive and engineering leaders. Real eyes, real feedback, real momentum.
You'd be building here
An AI-native company, at real scale.
Nerdy (NYSE: NRDY) is the Live + AI learning platform behind Varsity Tutors. We pair live expert instruction with a purpose-built AI layer — matching, tutoring copilots, adaptive practice, and session intelligence — across 3,000+ subjects.
AI isn't a feature bolted on the side here. It's the product. The people who win this challenge help build the next 40 superpowers.
3,000+
Subjects taught on the platform
40k+
Experts matched by AI on 100+ attributes
4.9/5
Average session rating across millions of sessions
40+
Live AI "superpowers" shipped to learners
The prompts
Pick one. Build it your way.
Three prompts below, each drawn from a real product problem we're solving for learners — or bring your own.
Prompt 01Math
K–5 Math Game
Develop an interactive, gamified math experience tailored for elementary students that makes foundational arithmetic concepts both intuitive and engaging.
We're looking for: innovative mechanics that encourage steady progression and reward mastery of core numeracy skills.
Prompt 02Language
Language Learning App
Create a structured, user-friendly mobile experience that simplifies the acquisition of a new language through spaced repetition or immersive daily practice.
We're looking for: a strong grasp of pedagogical design, with a seamless and intuitive user journey.
Prompt 03Literacy
English Reading Game
Build a literacy-focused application that helps young learners improve reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary through interactive storytelling or challenge-based gameplay.
We're looking for: educational rigor blended with fun, narrative-driven design.
Your ownOpen
Or bring your own idea
The three above are suggestions, not a shortlist. Build whatever you want, so long as it is a tool that genuinely helps someone learn.
We're looking for: the same rigor we are looking for above — a real learner, a real problem, something you can demo.
The submission
Submissions are closed
The window has closed. We are reviewing every entry and will be in touch with the people we want to talk to.
Submissions open. Pick your prompt and start building.
02
Aug 27 – Sep 18
Build your project
Create your learning product and submit for review.
03
Fri, Sep 18
Submissions close
Entries due end of day — a project link plus a 2–3 minute demo video. Early submissions may be reviewed as they arrive.
04
Sep 21 – 23
Review & finalist selection
A panel of Nerdy engineers reviews every entry, selects the finalists and notifies them directly.
05
Fri, Sep 25
Demo Day
Finalists present live to Nerdy leadership, and promising builders may be invited to talk about roles.
SubmissionsOpens · Closes Dates subject to final confirmation.
The real prize
Get on Nerdy’s radar.
We’re always looking for exceptional AI Product Engineers — in the US, Latin America and India. Strong submissions get seen by the people who do the hiring, and standout builders may be invited to explore those roles.
What the role pays
$200K+
job at Nerdy
Potential total compensation varies by market, experience, and level. Job opportunities are possible, not guaranteed.
Every finalist gets their work in front of Nerdy engineering leadership.
Who we're hiring
We're growing our AI Product Engineering team in three markets.
Nerdy hires AI Product Engineers in the United States, Latin America and India. If your submission stands out, we may reach out about open roles on the team — the same people reviewing your build are the ones hiring for it.
United States
$200K+
Total compensation for senior AI Product Engineer roles, depending on experience and level.
Latin America
$100K
Total compensation for senior AI Product Engineer roles, depending on experience and level.
India
₹1 Cr
Total compensation for senior AI Product Engineer roles, depending on experience and level.
Build first, talk later.
You don't apply to a role to enter. Ship something great, and the conversation starts from there.
Compensation ranges reflect senior-level roles and vary by market, level, and experience. Entering the challenge is not an application for employment, and participation does not guarantee an interview or offer.
