HackFRee 2026

Manalapan High School hosted the Freehold Regional High School District's HackFRee 2026 Hackathon on January 17, welcoming teams from across the district and a few teams from outside the district for a full day of creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Throughout the event, students worked to design and build innovative projects, participated in hands-on workshops led by industry professionals, teachers, and students, and connected with IEEE mentors and Manalapan High School alumni.

HackFRee began with a special welcome from the 501st Legion, whose movie-accurate Star Wars costumes added excitement and energy to the start of the day. A thoughtfully curated display of 3D-printed Star Wars props highlighted creativity, design, and advanced fabrication, creating a memorable visual experience for participants and visitors alike.

Student projects spanned a wide range of applications, including assistive technology, artificial intelligence, computer vision, environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and hardware design. Using tools such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, cameras, sensors, and AI frameworks, teams built practical solutions to real-world challenges - from improving accessibility and communication to supporting digital well-being, vehicle safety, and informed decision-making. Projects also included platforms that connect people around shared interests or resources, AI-powered educational and productivity tools, and environmentally conscious consumer solutions.

HackFRee 2026 - Hacks of Distinction

During the closing ceremony, seven teams received Hack of Distinction Awards, recognizing creativity, impact, technical achievement, and effective presentation of their work:

• EcoLogic (Freehold High School) – An environmentally focused app that allows users to scan product barcodes and receive sustainability scores based on crowdsourced data.
• ELI5 (Explain It Like I’m 5) (Howell High School) – An AI-powered tool that explains topics at varying levels of complexity, adapting responses to the user’s level of understanding.
• LandSafe! (Freehold High School) – A simulation tool that uses real runway and landing data to detect conflicts and support emergency landing decisions.
• LazyControls (Manalapan High School) – A gesture-based system that replaces traditional remotes, allowing users to control audio, brightness, and cursor movement using hand motions.
• Signify (Colts Neck High School) – A computer-vision and machine-learning project that translates sign language into speech using a camera.
• Speech Support for Angelman Syndrome (Manalapan High School) – An adaptive, voice-based speech therapy system designed to support communication practice and progress tracking for individuals with Angelman syndrome.
• Motion (Manalapan High School & Marlboro High School) – A real-world physics measurement app recognized as Best Beginner Hack, designed to measure distance and speed using accessible technology.

Beyond the final products, students emphasized growth, teamwork, and perseverance as key takeaways from the experience. Reflections included: “We learned that teamwork and relying on others for support and guidance can be a powerful addition to our own abilities,” “Even with limited experience, we were able to bring our idea to life through collaboration and persistence,” and  “We learned to troubleshoot, problem-solve, and understand our code and hardware at a much deeper level.”

In addition to the hackathon, HackFRee 2026 also featured the first-ever Super S&E Robotics Scrimmage, held in a new STEM space and bringing together FTC teams from multiple schools and community organizations.

HackFRee 2026 concluded with a message chosen by the student leadership team—one that reflected the spirit of the event and the mindset carried throughout the day: “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”  ~ André Gide

Through innovation, mentorship, and community partnership, HackFRee continues to empower students to take risks, explore new ideas, and see themselves as creators and problem-solvers beyond the classroom.