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.
This year, we are excited to welcome participants in person to collaborate, create, and innovate. With an average attendance of 150-200 visionaries, the event promises dynamic interaction and significant impact.
As we continue to build the legacy of Hacks for Humanity, our goal is to expand our reach and deepen our impact. We strive to forge strong partnerships with like-minded organizations and agencies. Together, we aim to change the world one individual at a time and strengthen our community through each Project Humanities initiative.
What Makes Us Unique
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 Impact
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:
Participation is not open to high school students.
Age Group- 18 years and above; anybody from students to professionals to retirees.
Register based on individual areas of expertise: artists, coders, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs.
Stay with assigned team for the duration of the event.
Mentors use their expertise to help teams spark creativity, generate ideas, problem solve, and develop final presentations.
Mentor Requirements
Any age
Register by most accurate skill set category: artists, coders, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, humanists
Commit to 2-hour blocks of time
Passionate about using innovation to address local and global issues for the greater social good
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
Any age
Any area of expertise welcome
Commit to 2-hour blocks to assist Project Humanities team with logistics
Virtual and In-Person opportunities available
Assist with tasks such as registrant sign ins, facilitate participant activities throughout 36-hour event
Hacks for Humanity 2025 Tracks
Nutrition and Wellbeing
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?
Community Engagement
How do individuals empower communities to foster connection, participation, and local impact?
Misinformation/Disinformation
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?
IMPACT
Feedback from 2024
“I like how this hackathon emphasized the human impact of our prospective projects.”
- Participant 2024
“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.”
- Participant 2024
“Good call on brunch, not three meals. Enjoyed the silent disco.”
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
