The WWU Social Justice Hackathon 2026 invites college students and recent alumni across the US to develop tech-forward solutions for local non-profits in Bellingham, with a single non-cash prize for the winner.
By Western Washington University
The WWU Social Justice Hackathon 2026 provides an opportunity for students and recent alumni from all disciplines at Western Washington University to collaborate on ethical, socially responsible technology solutions for real-world challenges. Participants will select from a set of pre-selected social justice challenges derived from local needs and non-profits, all of which align with the UN's definition of Access to Justice (2012). The event aims to foster community, connection, and critical problem-solving by bringing together diverse skills in STEM, business, design, interdisciplinary studies, education, law, community organizing, and art. The challenges are designed to allow for prototyping within the hackathon's timeframe and will focus on issues faced by local businesses and communities, such as website development, gaining awareness, or financial problems solvable by technology. No prior coding experience is required, making the event accessible to individuals from various academic backgrounds. The hackathon is free to attend, with food and resources provided on-site. Participants will work in teams of 3 to 7 members to develop and present their solutions.
Participants must develop a technical submission addressing a chosen social and local problem. The product can include source code (compilable or accessible via URL), a no-code application, videos, forms, and documents. Additionally, each team must create a presentation, preferably a slideshow, to be delivered to judges. Pre-recording a demo for the presentation is desirable.
The hackathon is open to college students and recent alumni (graduated within 2 years) of Western Washington University. Participants must be above the legal age of majority in their country of residence and must reside in the US. Teams are required and must consist of 3 to 7 members.
Answers below are best-effort estimates from the most recent application cycle. Values marked ~ or (est.) may shift year-to-year — confirm specifics on the official scholarship page.
A hackathon is a community event where people of all disciplines (students, faculty, advocates, artists, etc) come together to engage in rapid design of solutions to given challenges. It promotes connection, collaboration, and critical problem solving. Teams are formed, given a problem to solve within a timeframe (around three days, not overnight), and prizes are awarded to the most productive/outstanding groups. The 'hackathon' name traditionally refers to coding, but this event calls on skills from all disciplines.
This hackathon is focused on social justice due to its collaboration with local communities and businesses. The challenges presented are actual issues facing local businesses and communities, such as lack of website, awareness, or financial problems that can be solved by technology.
This hackathon requires diverse skillsets. For example, creating an app that tracks food stamps would need people understanding local policy, graphic design/marketing for user experience, and coders. Creative and critical thinkers from all disciplines will gain real-world experience in problem-solving and collaboration.
This hackathon is open to all WWU students and alumni who graduated within 2 years of this hackathon. There will be roughly 50 participants, forming teams of around five or six people.
Each team will have meals provided, Wifi, private and public meeting rooms with computers, and possibly merch goodies!
Friday night starts with a keynote speaker and social event for mingling and team formation, followed by challenge assignment and plan outlining, with dinner provided. Saturday is dedicated to working/hacking all day, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided. Sunday is the final day for finishing products, presenting to judges, and a brief social with tabling, music, and food during judging. Winners are announced at the closing ceremonies.
Yes, but with caveats. While AI usage cannot be entirely controlled, the hackathon's goal is social good, and certain aspects of modern AI tools and their providers may contradict core values. Alternatives to commonly used AI models (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot) will be offered.
It is free to attend!
Attendance is capped at 50 participants due to limited funds from sponsors. This ensures a minimum level of quality and full enjoyment for every participant.