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Prompt Hackathon Facilitator Guide

Run hands-on AI workshops that transform your team's capabilities in just 2 hours

What's Inside This Template

Who It's For

L&D professionals, team leaders, managers, AI Champions, and anyone responsible for building AI capabilities across their organization - no technical expertise required

When to Use

When you need to accelerate AI adoption through practical skill-building; when teams need hands-on experience with prompt engineering; when you want to create immediate productivity gains while building foundational AI capabilities

Key Benefit

A complete, battle-tested framework to facilitate engaging 2-hour workshops where every participant develops production-ready AI prompts for their actual work processes

Sections Included

Pre-hackathon planning checklist with 2-week timeline
Room setup and technology requirements guide
Hackathon invitation template with messaging framework
AI platform selection guide (API, Corporate, Individual accounts)
Pre-work survey to prepare participants
Detailed facilitator script with timing and talking points
Use case selection and prompt design templates
Testing and refinement workflows
Post-hackathon follow-up and success tracking
Scaling framework for organization-wide rollout

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Open this template in Google Docs to make a copy and customize it directly

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Complete Template Content

NOTE: This template links to a comprehensive Google Doc with all facilitator materials, scripts, and templates. Make a copy for your organization and customize as needed.

Prompt Writing Hackathon Facilitator Guide

Overview

The Prompt Writing Hackathon is a practical, hands-on workshop designed to accelerate AI adoption through focused prompt engineering skill development for business teams.

In this intensive 2-hour session, teams of 10-15 participants transform their day-to-day work processes into effective AI prompts, creating immediate productivity gains while building foundational skills for future AI initiatives.

This hackathon is ideal for every team - no IT or AI experience required.

Why Run This Hackathon?

For Your Company

This workshop provides a structured approach to unlock the value of AI investments by enabling teams to:

Transform existing processes, policies, and templates into AI-powered workflows
Learn to use publicly available tools like ChatGPT and Claude for business use
Develop consistent, high-quality prompts that can be shared across teams
Build internal capability while managing risks and ensuring appropriate use
Create measurable productivity improvements in key business processes

For Participants

The workshop delivers:

Practical skills in prompt engineering that can be applied immediately
Hands-on experience with AI tools in a supported environment
Templates and frameworks for ongoing prompt development
Confidence in leveraging AI for daily work tasks

What’s Included in the Complete Guide

The full facilitator guide (accessible via the link below) includes everything you need to deliver successful workshops:

Pre-Hackathon Planning

Planning checklist with 2-week timeline and success metrics
Room setup requirements for 10-15 participants (in-person or virtual)
Technology requirements guide covering facilitator and participant needs
AI platform selection guide evaluating API access, corporate accounts, and individual accounts
Pre-work communication templates including hackathon invitation and attendee survey
Risk mitigation strategies for technical issues and varying comfort levels

During the Hackathon

Detailed facilitator script with timing (2-hour session broken into 5 phases)
Opening session materials (15 min) - welcome, introductions, prompt engineering fundamentals
Use case definition framework (20 min) - individual work and pair discussions
Prompt building templates (40 min) - component introduction, development, group review
Testing & refinement workflows (35 min) - testing cycles, optimization, success sharing
Wrap-up and next steps (10 min) - commitment planning, resources, follow-up

Participant Templates

Use case selection tracker - ranking processes, policies, and templates by pain and frequency
Prompt design template - structured framework covering purpose, context, examples, exceptions, and engagement style

Post-Hackathon Success

Week 1 implementation guide for participants and facilitators
Weeks 2-4 expansion activities including new prompt development and sharing
Month 2+ scaling framework for organization-wide rollout
Success metrics tracking covering participation, output, implementation, and long-term impact
Prompt library setup for team sharing and collaboration

Facilitation Support

Common challenges and solutions - stuck participants, technology issues, scope creep
Time management tips including use of timers and 2-minute warnings
Participation techniques like round-robin sharing and celebrating small wins
Resource sharing guide for post-workshop materials

Access the Complete Guide

Access the full Prompt Hackathon Facilitator Guide on Google Docs →

Remember to make a copy (File > Make a Copy) so you can customize for your organization.

Implementation Notes

Getting Started

Read through the entire guide before your first facilitation to understand the flow
Run at least one dry run if this is your first time facilitating - practice your talk track out loud (you speak faster in your head than out loud!)
Start with a single team rather than mixed functions for better relevance and engagement
Choose high-impact processes that participants use frequently (daily/weekly) rather than annual edge cases
Test technology access at least 1 week before to resolve any authentication or platform issues

Customization Tips

Adapt the guide for your organization’s context by:

Adding company-specific examples of processes, policies, or templates relevant to participants
Adjusting timing if you need longer/shorter sessions (though 2 hours works well for maintaining energy)
Tailoring platform recommendations to match your company’s AI strategy and existing investments
Incorporating your brand in invitation templates and communication materials
Aligning success metrics with your organization’s AI adoption goals and KPIs

Success Factors

Successful hackathons share these characteristics:

Focused audience - Single team or function creates better collaboration
Prepared participants - Pre-work survey completion rate >90%
Real-world focus - Participants work on actual processes they use today
Safe environment - Non-judgmental space for experimentation and learning
Post-hackathon support - Week 1 check-ins and prompt library for sharing
Visible champions - Leadership acknowledgment of participants’ new capabilities

Scaling Considerations

As you expand beyond your first hackathon:

Develop internal facilitators from successful participants who can run future sessions
Create a centralized prompt library where teams share successful prompts across functions
Establish regular cadence (e.g., monthly hackathons) for sustained capability building
Track organizational metrics to demonstrate ROI and justify continued investment
Connect to broader AI strategy ensuring workshops support overall transformation goals

Additional Resources

For more depth on workshop facilitation, the guide recommends:

“The Workshop Survival Guide” by Rob Fitzpatrick and Devin Hunt - excellent for new facilitators

Whether this is your first AI workshop or you’re scaling across your organization, this guide provides a proven framework for hands-on AI skill development that delivers immediate productivity gains.

How to Use This Guide

Access the complete guide

Click the link below to access the full Google Doc with all planning materials, scripts, and templates

Make a copy for your organization

Create your own copy (File > Make a Copy) and customize for your company context and team needs

Plan your first hackathon

Follow the 2-week planning timeline, selecting participants from a single team or function for best results

Run and iterate

Facilitate your first workshop, gather feedback, and refine for subsequent hackathons across your organization

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about running successful prompt hackathons

Do I need to be an AI expert to facilitate this workshop?

No! This guide is specifically designed for business professionals with no technical or AI expertise. The ideal facilitator understands business processes, can guide group discussions, and can follow structured timing. The guide provides everything you need including scripts, talking points, and examples. If you can facilitate a workshop and understand how work gets done in your organization, you can run this hackathon.

How many participants should I include in each hackathon?

Keep groups to 10-15 participants maximum. This ensures everyone gets individual attention and active participation. Importantly, focus each hackathon on a single team or function (e.g., just Finance, just HR, just Marketing). This ensures every use case developed is relevant to every attendee, creating better collaboration and engagement than mixed-function groups.

What AI platforms can participants use during the hackathon?

The guide covers three main options: (1) API access via Claude Workbench or OpenAI Playground - most flexible for testing and future integration; (2) Corporate Team/Enterprise accounts for Claude, ChatGPT, or other platforms - best for ongoing usage and governance; (3) Individual paid accounts - quickest to set up for pilots. Your choice depends on your organization's AI strategy, timeline, budget, and whether you want participants to continue using their prompts post-hackathon.

What should participants prepare before the hackathon?

Send participants a pre-work survey 1 week before asking them to identify: (1) Top 3 processes they regularly manage; (2) Key policies that guide their work; (3) Templates/documents they frequently use. This gets them thinking about their workflows so they arrive ready to focus on a high-impact use case. The guide includes a complete pre-work survey template.

What outcomes can I expect from a 2-hour hackathon?

Each participant will develop at least one production-ready AI prompt addressing a real business need in their daily work. Success metrics include: 100% of attendees using their developed prompt within the first week, 50% sharing their prompt with team members, and 30% developing additional prompts within the first month. Participants gain practical prompt engineering skills, hands-on AI experience, and templates for ongoing development.

How much does it cost to run a prompt hackathon?

Primary costs are AI platform access (ranging from $20/month per user for individual accounts to enterprise pricing for corporate solutions) and facilitator time. Room costs and materials are minimal (post-its, markers, standard meeting room). The guide helps you evaluate platform options based on your budget, with implementation tips for each approach. Most organizations find the productivity gains from improved processes quickly offset the modest investment.

Can I run this hackathon virtually or does it need to be in-person?

While in-person is preferred for energy and collaboration, the hackathon can run virtually. The guide includes adaptation notes for virtual delivery. Key virtual considerations: ensure all participants test AI platform access beforehand, use breakout rooms for pair discussions, allow extra time for technology setup, and leverage collaborative tools like Google Docs or Miro for sharing prompts and feedback.

How do I track success and measure ROI after the hackathon?

The guide includes comprehensive post-hackathon tracking tools covering: (1) Participation metrics (attendance, pre-work completion, active engagement); (2) Output metrics (prompts developed, tested, and addressing real needs); (3) Implementation metrics (usage rates, prompt sharing, additional prompt development); (4) Long-term impact (time saved per process, error reduction, team satisfaction, adoption rates). Track these across Week 1, Weeks 2-4, and Month 2+ for complete visibility.

What happens after the first hackathon? How do I scale this across my organization?

The guide includes a scaling framework for organization-wide rollout. After your first successful hackathon: (1) Collect and share success stories to build momentum; (2) Create a prompt library for teams to share learnings; (3) Run additional hackathons with other teams/functions; (4) Develop internal champions who can facilitate future sessions; (5) Establish regular 'prompt sharing' sessions for ongoing learning. Many organizations start with one team, refine their approach, then scale to monthly hackathons across departments.

What if participants get stuck or can't think of a good use case during the workshop?

The guide includes facilitation tips for common challenges. If someone struggles with use case selection, have them talk through a 'day-in-the-life' to identify repetitive tasks. The pre-work survey should give them ideas to start with. If prompts become too broad or complex, bring participants back to a single simple task they do today. If participants get too ambitious, refocus them on improving an existing workflow rather than creating something entirely new. The key is starting with something they already do regularly.

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Need Help Accelerating AI Adoption Across Your Organization?

While this guide provides everything you need to run successful prompt hackathons, Kowalah's Digital Chief AI Officer can help you develop comprehensive AI training strategies, build organizational capabilities at scale, and ensure your workshops connect to broader AI transformation initiatives.

Talk to an Expert