About the challenge
The Philadelphia Social Justice Hackathon is a 36-hour event to bring students, programmers, and other “civic-minded hackers” together - to work in collaboration with justice advocates, public servants, community legal providers, and members of the community, to enhance the use of open data and develop technology solutions that respond to the specific justice needs of residents and neighborhoods most impacted by social, economic, and environmental injustices in Philadelphia.
The event is free to attend and open to all participants, regardless of coding experience or affiliation with an organization or university.
The Format
The hackathon kicks off with an opening reception followed by an intensive sprint. Participants can form teams and have the option to either work on their own ideas, or on challenges provided by our community partners.
Teams will have access to experienced mentors and hear from inspiring speakers. The event culminates with final presentations, before an esteemed panel of community judges. Winning teams will receive small awards and where possible, connections to organizational support and key partners to further develop, validate and implement solutions created.
Get started
Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/philadelphia-social-justice-hackathon-2026-tickets-1983329295312?keep_tld=true
Prizes
1st Place - Winner
The winning project will advance to the Information Architecture Conference (IAC) Design Hackathon, where IAC26 attendees will collaborate on design and strategy for that project!
About the IAC Conference:
The Information Architecture Conference (IAC) is the premier event for professionals in information architecture, user experience design, content strategy, and research. Since 2000, our diverse community of practitioners and academics has gathered to explore the intentional design of rich information environments. We bring together experts in Information Architecture, UX Design, Content Strategy, and more.
2nd Place - Winner
The Second place team will receive a combination for mentorship and support for a continued period. Details to be announced.
3rd Place - Winner
The Third place team will receive a combination for mentorship and support for a continued period. Details to be announced.
Honorable Mention - Winner
The Third place team will receive a combination for mentorship and support for a continued period. Details to be announced.
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Ken Miles
Executive Director, Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology, School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2)
Shahana Farishta
Business Immigration Lawyer; South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia Leadership Team; North American South Asian Law Students Association (NASALSA) Leadership Team
Vincent Perez
Lecturer, Department of Business and Economics at Penn State Brandywine; Advisor, Educator & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builder
Judging Criteria
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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