The JavaScript AI Build-a-thon Season 2 starts March 2!

The JavaScript AI Build-a-thon Season 2 runs March 2–31, 2026, offering four weeks of hands-on JavaScript/TypeScript AI training: local on-device AI, RAG pipelines, agent design with Foundry tools, guided projects, livestreams, Discord office hours, and a global hackathon starting March 13.

The JavaScript AI Build-a-thon Season 2 launches March 2, 2026. It teaches JavaScript and TypeScript AI patterns from Local AI to multi-agent systems.

Main feature/change and impact

Season 2 adds a structured four-week curriculum focused on JavaScript-first AI development. Participants learn Local AI, RAG, Foundry model workflows, and agent design. This reduces friction for builders who previously relied on Python examples and scattered tutorials. Microsoft-hosted livestreams and Discord office hours provide direct expert access.

Practical implications

Expect two guided projects and a global hackathon running March 13-31. Projects include a serverless RAG chat and a burger-ordering AI agent using MCP protocols. Learning outcomes map to real engineering tasks: ingestion pipelines, retrieval, LLM chains, and serverless APIs. Teams of up to four or solo entrants compete for six award categories.

“The JavaScript AI Build-a-thon is a free, hands-on program designed to close that gap.”

The schedule emphasizes hands-on, incremental skill building with live demos and office hours. Core sessions cover Foundry Local, end-to-end model development, advanced RAG, agent builder workflows, and governance patterns. Resources include Microsoft Reactor livestreams, Foundry Discord channel, and GitHub Discussions. Registration, judging criteria, and prize details will publish when the hack phase launches. Organizers promise product demo showcases during the hack to keep teams current with platform updates. Use aka.ms/JSAIBuildathon to register and join the community channels. Next steps for engineers: register, review the Phase I quests, and join live sessions beginning March 2. Prepare by cloning example repos, reviewing LangChain.js patterns, and planning a two-week project scope. Teams should align on roles, MCP contracts, and deployment targets before March 13.

Key points from the article:

Run AI fully on-device with Foundry Local and serverless patterns.

Learn RAG architecture, ingestion pipelines, and retrieval strategies.

Build end-to-end AI agents using Agent Builder and MCP design.

Participate in livestreams, office hours, and guided Discord support.

Enter the global hackathon (Mar 13–31) solo or in teams of four.

Related Coverage:

• Azure reliability, resiliency, and recoverability: Build continuity by design
• Building a Smart Building HVAC Digital Twin with AI Copilot Using Foundry Local
• Faster decisions: How an AI agent is redefining executive workflows at one of the world’s largest building materials companies

From the Microsoft Developer Community Blog articles

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