CS Girlies Annual Hackathon - Technology For Wellness

Overview

Technology For Wellness is a global, 48-hour online hackathon organized by CS Girlies, focusing on the theme of building tools for wellness, health, and happiness. This event invites Gen Z creatives, coders, and student developers to innovate unique and human-first projects that reimagine self-care and care for others. The hackathon aims to explore how technology can make wellness more accessible, fun, and attainable. Participants are encouraged to create projects that align with the central theme, with dedicated main tracks to be revealed closer to the hackathon start. Additionally, there are bonus tracks for "Most Viral" and "Best Use of AI" projects, offering more opportunities for recognition. This event is designed to be beginner-friendly, welcoming both newcomers to tech and experienced developers. It provides a supportive environment with global mentor support and an active Discord community, fostering collaboration and learning. Participants will compete for prizes awarded based on originality, impact, and user experience, with a total prize pool of $5,000.

What to build

Participants must build unique and human-first projects that reimagine how individuals take care of themselves and others, focusing on the theme of wellness, health, and happiness. The technology should aim to make wellness more accessible, fun, and attainable.

Prizes

Key dates

• Opening Ceremony + Hacking StartsFriday, August 14, 2026 @ 6 PM EST
• Submissions Due on DevPostSunday, August 16, 2026 @ 6 PM EST
• Winners Announced on Discord & DevpostSunday, August 30, 2026 @ 6 PM EST

Eligibility

Participants must be above the legal age of majority in their country of residence and currently enrolled students. Companies and professional organizations are excluded from participation. All countries and territories are eligible, with standard exceptions. The hackathon is beginner-friendly and welcomes everyone, regardless of whether they identify as Gen Z or a 'girlie'.

How to enter

1. Register on DevPost to enter the hackathon.
2. Join the CS Girlies Discord to access ceremonies, workshops, mentorship sessions, and related channels.
3. Optional: Create and share a hackathon participation ID using the provided Canva template.

Submission requirements

• Demo Video: 1–5 minutes in length, hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc. (must be accessible), showing project functionality and explaining the 'why'.
• Project Description: Must be written from scratch without AI, detailing what the project does, its inspiration, technologies used (including AI models, free/paid tiers), and the tracks it's submitted to (one main track and optionally bonus tracks).
• Public Code Repository: Hosted on GitHub, Replit, Glitch, etc., including basic documentation like a README. Additional files can be included as a ZIP.
• Team Info: All teammates added to the Devpost submission with clear contributions for each.
• Information for Bonus Tracks (Optional): For 'Most Viral', submit links to project posts across platforms during the judging period. For 'Best Use of AI', submit a detailed report on AI usage, including prompts and models.

Judging criteria

• Wellness Impact: How well the project helps users relax, track health, or is useful/inspiring for wellness improvement.
• Creativity & Innovation: Originality and uniqueness of ideas, clever use of AI, and unexpected solutions.
• Technical Craft & Execution: Functionality of prototypes/demos, smart usage of AI tools, frameworks, APIs, and strategic effort. Working backend/hosting will receive higher scores.
• Design & User Experience: Ease of use, aesthetic appeal, clear navigation, and accessibility of the UI/UX.
• Community & Accessibility: How the project makes wellness more inclusive/accessible, catering to different backgrounds/cultures, and making wellness feel natural. AI usage hindering accessibility may result in lost points.

Resources

• Full Rules
• Join Discord
• Hackathon Participation ID Canva Template
• Email Hackathon Manager