Main Description

The STEMpower Her Hackathon is a week-long virtual event empowering girls to build technology that addresses real-world problems. Open to all skill levels, it emphasizes accessibility, beginner support, and social impact. Participants can work solo or in teams of up to four on projects in areas like AI, climate/agriculture, women’s safety, education, and health tech.

The event is flexible and fully online. All workshops, resources, and mentorship are available asynchronously for global participants.

Teams will build and submit projects between December 21–28. Judges will evaluate submissions on impact, innovation, technical depth, design, and presentation, with winners announced shortly after.

About the Challenge

The challenge is to design a technological solution that addresses a meaningful problem in a community, industry, or global context. Projects may be prototypes, concept demonstrations, or functional applications. Teams may choose to align their work with one of the event’s tracks:

• AI for Good

• Climate, Agriculture, and Earth Observation

• Women’s Safety and Social Justice

• HealthTech and Wellness

• EdTech and Opportunity Access

Get Started

Participants should begin by reviewing the event schedule, rules, and submission requirements. Before the hackathon begins, they will receive access to the official Discord server, where they can introduce themselves, find teammates, and access mentors. All workshop videos and resource materials will be available in Discord and through the participant packet.

To prepare:

1. Finalize registration and join the Discord: https://discord.gg/3v3pCzWSqc

2. Review the participant packet for rules, track descriptions, judging criteria, and recommended tools.

3. Attend the Opening Ceremony on December 21 to receive instructions, theme details, and team formation guidance.

4. Begin brainstorming potential problems and solutions aligned with the challenge tracks.

• Impact (30 points)
  Evaluates the significance of the problem addressed and the potential effectiveness of the solution. Projects should clearly articulate why the problem matters and who benefits.
• Innovation (20 points)
  Assesses originality, creativity, and the uniqueness of the approach. Novel ideas, new perspectives, or inventive implementations score higher.
• Technical Complexity (20 points)
  Measures the depth and difficulty of the technical work, relative to the team’s experience level. This includes architecture, implementation, and effective use of tools or technologies.
• Design and User Experience (15 points)
  Evaluates clarity, usability, and the overall structure or flow of the solution. Prototypes, mockups, or demos should demonstrate thoughtful design choices.
• Presentation and Communication (15 points)
  Focuses on how clearly the team explains the project in the written description and demo video. The submission should make it easy for judges to understand the idea, features, and impact.