“Hacks for Humanity” invites participants from all backgrounds to contribute to creative problem-solving rooted in ASU Project Humanities’ core Humanity 101® principles: compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect and self-reflection.
Hosted by Project Humanities at Arizona State University, Hacks for Humanity is not just a hackathon—it's a 36-hour innovation marathon. Participants from diverse backgrounds—including students, faculty, staff, and community members—come together to develop technical solutions that address pressing local and global challenges. By integrating the seven core principles of Humanity 101®—compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect, and self-reflection—each project not only proposes a solution but also fosters personal growth and community understanding.
Hacks for Humanity welcomes everyone—from coders to artists, and students to retirees. By uniting diverse perspectives, we ensure groundbreaking solutions emerge every year.
Our hackathon does more than spark innovation; it inspires action and builds lasting networks, empowering participants to use technology for societal change.
Participants compete for team prizes of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place as well as individual awards such as People’s Choice awards
Participant Requirements:
Sponsor
Supporter
Inquire about sponsorship opportunities at [email protected]
Mentors use their expertise to help teams spark creativity, generate ideas, problem solve, and develop final presentations.
Mentor Requirements
Volunteers participate in the event as a close observer while assisting Project Humanities team with event logistics. They can be anyone interested in assisting the Project Humanities team in various event logistics.
Volunteer Requirements
People live busy lives and have busy schedules. With inflation, high food prices, and food availability, how can people ensure that they can have access to nutritious foods and recipes? Also considering people experiencing homelessness, how can communities ensure anyone gets access to proper nutrition?
How do individuals empower communities to foster connection, participation, and local impact?
How do people understand and address the spread of misinformation and disinformation in an age of rapid digital communication? What counts as “truth” in contested spaces, and who gets to decide? How do power, platforms, and perception shape what people believe?
David Dilley is a director of the Ramsey Social Justice Foundation.The Ramsey Social Justice Foundation has a long history of supporting organizations dedicated to social justice, especially those working in marginalized and underrepresented communities worldwide.
As State Director of the Arizona Small Business Development Center Network, Janice C.
Washington was a successful and innovative leader and developer of people and
businesses. She held various leadership roles that included financial oversight, building
small businesses and serving on state and national boards. Skilled in the application of
critical thinking and analysis, she was successful in attaining key metrics and leading by
example to bring together groups with diverse interests, skills, and influence to achieve a
common goal.
As former principal of J. C. Washington CPA, she provided income tax, accounting, audit,
and review services combined with management of finance and administrative functions.
Throughout her career, Janice prioritized focusing on the “Why”.
Dr. Loretta H. Cheeks is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert, research scholar, consultant, educator, and speaker. She is the founder of Strong TIES and DS Innovation. Throughout her career, she has helped organizations gain dynamic insights using computation and AI, serving private enterprises, governments, and nonprofits while advancing STEAM education globally.
“I like how this hackathon emphasized the human impact of our prospective projects.”
“This event has definitely provided me more insight about the relationship between humanity and technology and how these two things can bring about positive change, when incorporated simultaneously.”
“Good call on brunch, not three meals. Enjoyed the silent disco.”
Eric Christus
- Sept 21, 2024
Over a decade ago, Ahwatukee professor Dr. Neal Lester had an idea:
If code-savvy professionals can get together to solve technical issues through a “hackathon,” why can’t people of all walks of life and ages get together to come up with working “hacks” that address a social problem.
Flash forward to 2024 and the Arizona State University Foundation Professor of English has produced an answer 10 years running: People with and without coding experience can indeed gather in small teams for a focused, concentrated period of time and produce attainable solutions to social problems... Read More
