2026 WMGIC x PIT-UN Tech for Change Hackathon

�鶹�ƽ�� is proud to be selected by the to host a Tech for Change Hackathon on April 9–10, 2026. This event invites students from every discipline to work together on community-driven solutions that advance equity and address global injustices through the study and application of technology for the public good.

The Tech for Change Hackathon emphasizes community engagement, public interest technology, and employer partnerships.

Each team will be split into a stream ahead of the event. Streams include:

Stream 1: Narrative Power & the Architecture of Misunderstanding (Democracy, Information Integrity, Global Security)
Stream 2: Climate Stability, Sustainability, and the Limits of Adaptation (Climate Change, Sustainability, Global Equity)

Mentors with backgrounds in government, industry, academia, and more will guide students as they discuss and deliberate their proposed plan of action.

Panels of expert judges will evaluate the proposals and select one winner from each stream, with each winning team receiving a $500 prize from WMGIC. The winners will be announced during Closing Ceremonies.

Any undergraduate student team is invited to register. No prior skills or knowledge are required.

This competition is sponsored by and organized by �鶹�ƽ��.

WMGIC x PIT-UN Tech for Change Hackathon Winners

Stream 1: Narrative Power & the Architecture of Misunderstanding
(Democracy, Information Integrity, Global Security)
Team - MADE at Yale, Yale University

Stream 2: Climate Stability, Sustainability, and the Limits of Adaptation
(Climate Change, Sustainability, Global Equity)
Team - Code 1789, Georgetown University

Keynote Address

Alberto Rodríguez Álvarez
Director of Partnerships at InnovateUS,
Co-founder of Datamorfosis

Closing Remarks

Sylvester A. Johnson
Professor and Chair, Department of Black Studies at Northwestern University,
2024 Kluge Chair in Technology and Society at the Library of Congress’s Kluge Center

Event Schedule

All times listed in EDT

Day 1: April 9, 2026

7:00am: Case Booklet Release

9:00am - 10:00am: Opening Ceremony

Elisabeth Nielsen, Co-President, WMGIC

Sofia LoBue, Events Director, WMGIC

Eileen Ackley, External Relations Director, WMGIC

Keynote Address: Alberto Rodríguez Álvarez, Director of Partnerships at InnovateUS, Co-founder of Datamorfosis

4:00 - 5:00pm: Research Team Office Hours

6:00pm: Project Pitches Due

Day 2: April 10, 2026

12:00 - 3:00pm: Mentoring Sessions

3:00pm: Final Products Due

3:15 - 5:30pm: Judging Sessions

6:00 - 6:30pm: Closing Ceremony

Closing Remarks: Sylvester A. Johnson, Professor and Chair, Department of Black Studies at Northwestern University, 2024 Kluge Chair in Technology and Society at the Library of Congress’s Kluge Center

Elizabeth Marcus, Co-President, WMGIC

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This stream focuses on the increasing proliferation of synthetic media and how it leads to a lack of general trust. The main theme of this stream is the widespread misinformation spread through AI generated fraud and other synthetic media. Students are asked to explore how public interest technologies can be used to help societies rebuild trust and evidentiary ground without falling into censorship or “fact-checking” optimism. Students will present ideas on how to design infrastructure, standards, or tools to help repair trust and improve interpretive transparency.

This stream focuses on the effects of climate change and the issues with real-life implementation of current technologies. It not only asks about general global warming public interest technologies, but the distributive issues that occur in many current solutions being implemented. Students are asked to explore how public interest technologies can help governments and communities to confront the real limits and obstacles of climate adaptation. Specifically, students are asked to pitch tools that would help make climate trade-offs participatory and just for the people who are most severely affected by the current climate crisis.

WMGIC x PIT-UN Participant Workshop

Elisabeth Nielsen (Co-President, WMGIC) leads a workshop for participants of the 2026 WMGIC x PIT-UN Tech for Change Hackathon.

This workshop covers expectations for the final presentation slide deck format and presentation.

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This event invites students from every discipline to work together on community-driven solutions that advance equity and address global injustices through the study and application of technology for the public good.
Students will be guided by Mentors from diverse disciplines as they discuss and deliberate their proposed action plans together.
Judges evaluate the proposals and select one winning team from each stream. Each winning team will receive a $500 prize from WMGIC.

We believe in students with creative perspectives on important issues and this is your chance to showcase that! Compete internationally to showcase your innovative capabilities. The challenge offers interdisciplinary cooperation among students and field-leading experts.

Teams of three to five undergrad students are invited to compete in this challenge.
- Universities registering more than one team may be asked to combine into a larger group who will then compete against similar sized teams.
- Individual students, judges, and mentors from all nationalities are welcome to register.
No prior knowledge or prerequisites required.
All fields of study are welcome to compete.

The WMGIC x PIT-UN Tech for Change Hackathon will take place on April 9–10, 2026.

This event is made possible by:

Sponsors for the 2026 WMGIC x PIT-UN Hackathon

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