About the challenge:
We are humbled and inspired by the power of technology to do good and, if unchecked, to do harm. We'd like to gather students to engage in responsible and ethical creation to foster change in our communities. Specifically, the Civic Tech Hackathon gives students the opportunity to solve problems in government, education, and policy through software engineering and coding. Any student with has an interest in programming and/or social justice, may participate. No coding background required!
Participants will compete under four main tracks: Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, Biodiversity, and Education Access. At the end, a team will be prized as an overall winner while each category will have their own corresponding winners. Participants are encouraged to develop software applications that address challenges in the areas of Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, Biodiversity, and Education Access. The applications should be designed to promote social good and foster change in our communities.
How to Get Started:
- Assemble Your Team: Create teams of 4-5 individuals who share your passion for civic tech.
- Brainstorm Ideas: Identify challenges within the tracks that you are passionate about solving.
- Develop Your Solution: Use your skills to create a prototype that addresses your chosen challenge. You are free to use any language, framework, or library.
- Document Your Work: Ensure all code and documentation are pushed to GitHub. It’s highly recommended to have a deployed frontend to showcase your solution.
- Prepare Your Presentation: Create a PowerPoint presentation to effectively communicate about your project, its features, and its impact.
- Pitch Your Project: Present your solution to a panel of judges and receive valuable feedback.
Ready to make an impact? Register here and be a part of the change you wish to see in the world.
Unlock Your Future at the Opportunity Expo!
Ready to bridge the gap between academia and your dream career? Join us at the Opportunity Expo, a cornerstone of our hackathon, designed to help you explore diverse post-grad pathways and connect with the tools you need to thrive.
What's in store?
- Internships: Discover hands-on roles with leading companies and startups.
- Professional Development: Level up with workshops, mentorship programs, and skill-building resources.
- Grad School Guidance: Chat with university reps and alumni about master’s, PhDs, and specialized programs.
- Career Launchpads: Explore fellowships, entrepreneurship opportunities, and full-time roles.
- Networking: Meet industry experts, recruiters, and peers who’ve walked the path you’re eyeing.
Get personalized advice from professionals in tech, research, business, and beyond. Learn how to craft standout applications, ace interviews, and build a career roadmap. Leave with actionable insights and connections to turn your ambitions into reality!
Requirements
What to Build:
College students are encouraged to develop software applications that tackle challenges in Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, Biodiversity, and Education Access. Your solutions should aim to promote social good and drive meaningful change in our communities.
Ethical Considerations:
As Civic Technologists, it’s essential to uphold high standards for responsible development and deployment of technology.
- What ethical and responsibility considerations are relevant to your project?
- How has your team addressed these, or what steps do you need to take before deployment?
If you need guidance, visit the #ethics-genius-bar channel to connect with a mentor for support!
What to Submit:
- A link to your project’s GitHub repository, which should include a README file that explains your project in detail.
- If applicable, a link to any website or web application you managed to create for your project.
- A link to your PowerPoint slides that effectively explain your project, its features, and its impact.
- A video that demonstrates how to set up and use your solution.
Prizes
Best Overall Hack
Xbox Series X
Best Impact
Nintendo Switch Light
Best Technical Execution
JBL Flip 6
Best Design
Polaroid Go
Best AI (Avanade)
Sony WH-CH720 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones + Power Banks
Best Use of MongoDB Atlas
M5GO IoT Starter Kit
MongoDB Atlas takes the leading modern database and makes it accessible in the cloud! Get started with a $50 credit for students (https://mlh.link/mongodb) or sign up for the Atlas free forever tier, no credit card required (https://mlh.link/mongodb-free). Along with a suite of services and functionalities, you'll have everything you need to manage all of your data, and you can get a headstart with free resources from MongoDB University (https://mlh.link/mongodb-university)! Build a hack using MongoDB Atlas for a chance to win a M5GO IoT Starter Kit for you and each member of your team.
Best AI Project with Databricks Open Source
Assorted Lego Sets
Databricks is an open analytics platform that helps you build, deploy, and maintain large scale data & AI solutions! Whether you’re working with large language models using Mosaic AI (https://mlh.link/databricks-mosaicai), storing data with Databricks Data Lakes (https://mlh.link/databricks-datalakes), or deploying GenAI powered applications using MLflow (https://mlh.link/databricks-mlflow), Databricks Open Source software has the tools you need to make your hackathon project state of the art.
Build an AI powered project utilizing Databricks Open Source projects like the ones mentioned, or Databricks friendly Open Source projects like LanceDB and Llama Index, for a chance to win some amazing prizes for you and your teammates! Check out the following link to see all qualifying Databricks' Open Source technologies (https://mlh.link/databricks).
MLH: Best Use of Gen AI
Assorted Prizes
Generative AI is rapidly changing the landscape of software development. This category challenges you to build novel applications that leverage the power of Generative AI APIs. Think outside the box and integrate cutting-edge AI models to create innovative solutions with real-world impact. To participate, utilize publicly available Generative AI APIs (like those from OpenAI, Anthropic, Hugging Face, Llama, IBM Watson, or Google Gemini) to develop a unique and functional application. This could include: AI-powered creative tools: Design an app that allows users to generate unique marketing copy, translate languages in real-time, or create personalized learning experiences. Intelligent assistants and automation: Build a chatbot that can provide insightful customer support, or a system that automates complex tasks using natural language processing. Next-generation content creation platforms: Develop a platform that empowers users to generate high-quality images, write different kinds of creative text formats, or compose original music with AI assistance. This is your chance to get hands on with cutting edge tech, put your skills on display, and of course, win some awesome prizes!
Best Domain Name from GoDaddy Registry
Hack from Home Kit
GoDaddy Registry is giving you everything you need to be the best hacker no matter where you are. Register your domain name with GoDaddy Registry for a chance to win a Hack from Home Kit! Each Kit contains wireless earbuds, blue light glasses, selfie ring light and a pouch for easy transport.
Hack the Herbaria (Dashboard)
Best Dashboard: Showing interactive visualization prototype displaying useful analytics of herbaria data will win a mini projector
Community Safety & Civil Rights
The Boston University Immigrants Rights Clinic, along with community partners the Political Asylum/Immigrant Representation (PAIR) Project, Boston Immigrant Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN), and Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts (PLS-MA), is looking to create the project described below based on a desire to inform immigrant communities and advocates about community safety issues throughout Massachusetts. The team with the best project will win $500 worth of gift cards.
Hack the Archives
The Boston University Libraries Special Collections Hidden Narratives Hack Prize invites participants to creatively engage with historical datasets from BU Libraries Special Collections, including the Boston University News archives (1916-1975), the Runaways Book from the Edward Starr Collection, and The Daily Free Press. The challenge is to uncover hidden narratives, connectivity, and relationships in the data to generate meaningful insights using these primary sources. The winner will be getting a portable monitor
Hack the Herbaria - Most innovative
Most Innovative: project that addresses any of the following challenges or opportunity areas regarding the Herbaria Herbaria Library, including:
Enabling access enables greater access to herbaria data by tools to leverage data in other platforms e.g. by creating APIs etc.
Applying innovative machine learning approaches to classification (e.g. labeling etc.) or discovery (e.g. trends , etc.) regarding
botanical specimens
Creative education tools for primary and secondary students
Winners of this will win AirPods Pro 2s!
Financial Scam Protector
In this 24/7 connected world, people feel lonelier than ever and though turning to online connections can seem like a solution, this can lead to dangerous scams. In scams like the “pig butcher scam”, victims are enamored by 24/7 responses that are positive and encouraging from a combination of individuals and AI chatbots. Once the victim is entranced, they are instructed to download fake crypto platforms like https://www.tormaysr.com/ where the account they create will soon be hacked or they are bullied through a sense of urgency to transfer money to the scammers through wiring directly to a bank or using Coinbase. How can we disrupt these scams and help the victims find trusted help? While texts on apps like Line and WhatsApp are encrypted, screenshots are not. Is there a way we can monitor screenshots to prevent them from being sent? Can we use resources like scam-detector.com to validate if the website a screenshot is of can be trusted? Can our phones give us a warning when they detect activities like those above relating to known scams?
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Ziba Cranmer
Judging Criteria
-
Product-Need Fit
How well your solution solves a problem. -
Potential Impact
The potential for global impact. -
Technical Execution
The quality of your product. -
Design
User experience and visual design. -
Presentation
Clarity of your presentation.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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