Are you a problem solver and have an interest in collaborating with others to make an impact on the environment? If this is you, then participating in an environmental hackathon might be the next activity to add to your to do list
Historically gaining momentum in the field of computer science, hackathons have since grown beyond just programming. Modern day “hackathons” when applied to the field of environmental and sustainability issues can involve those from a variety of industries who come together to solve and promote sustainable initiatives that lessen negative impacts to the environment.
The following are examples of hackathons that take place in the environmental sector, and like many other experiences can be a great way for students to develop practical experience and skills while working on a virtual (or in-person) project with others. In this way, participating in environmental hackathons is a way to accumulate project experiences that can later be documented on your resume and demonstrated to employers on resumes and during interviews.
Read on to find out more:
- Earth Hacks – https://earthhacks.io/ works with college students and organizations to host environmental hackathons focused on creating innovative, equitable, and just solutions to the climate crisis.
- MIT Energy & Climate Hack https://www.mitenergyhack.org/ – This event takes place at MIT and focuses on creating solutions in renewable energy, sustainable transportation, circular economy, and sustainable land use. Participants have the opportunity to work on various challenges related to clean energy and reducing carbon footprints
- NASA Space Apps Challenge https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/ the largest annual global hackathon. This two-day event creates innovation through international collaboration by providing an opportunity for participants to utilize NASA’s free and open data and its Space Agency Partners’ space-based data to address real-world problems on Earth and in space
- Digital Earths – Hack-a-Palooza https://www.wcrp-climate.org/de-events-opportunities/de-hackathon a two-phased global pan-hackathon for the analysis of “Storm Resolving Models”, with the first phase to take place in a week in May 2025, spread across three or more continents. The initiative is sponsored by a part of The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) which coordinates and facilitates international climate research to develop, share, and apply the climate knowledge that contributes to societal well-being.
