What to Build 🌍 The Challenge: Building Tomorrow

Your mission is to create an AI-powered solution that contributes to a more resilient and sustainable world. This is intentionally broad—we want to see YOUR unique interpretation of how technology can make a positive impact!

Project Inspiration

While you're free to build anything that fits the theme, here are some directions to spark your creativity:

🌱 Sustainability & Environmental Solutions

• Carbon footprint trackers that help individuals or businesses measure and reduce emissions
• Sustainable lifestyle assistants that suggest eco-friendly alternatives for daily choices
• Green supply chain optimizers for businesses looking to reduce environmental impact
• Waste reduction apps that help users minimize, recycle, or upcycle waste
• Energy consumption analyzers with personalized recommendations
• Sustainable shopping guides that help consumers make informed choices
• Environmental data visualizers that make climate data accessible and actionable

🚨 Emergency Response & Disaster Preparedness

• Accessible emergency alert systems for natural disasters
• Evacuation planning tools that help communities prepare for emergencies
• Crisis communication platforms that work in low-connectivity situations
• Real-time disaster information aggregators from multiple sources
• Emergency resource coordinators connecting people with supplies and aid
• Disaster preparedness education through interactive learning
• Vulnerable population support systems ensuring accessibility during emergencies

🏘️ Community Resilience & Accessibility

• Community resource-sharing platforms for mutual aid
• Accessibility tools making information or services available to all
• Local resilience networks connecting neighbors for support
• Mental health & wellness tools for community wellbeing
• Food security solutions addressing local hunger or food waste
• Public transportation optimizers for sustainable urban mobility
• Inclusive design tools ensuring products work for everyone

📚 Education & Awareness

• Climate education platforms making complex topics understandable
• Interactive environmental storytelling that inspires action
• Sustainability skills trainers teaching practical eco-friendly habits
• Data literacy tools helping people understand environmental statistics
• Gamified learning experiences about climate or disaster preparedness
• Myth-busting chatbots addressing misinformation about sustainability

💡 Open Innovation

• Anything else that helps people and planet thrive!
• Cross-category solutions that tackle multiple challenges
• Novel applications of AI we haven't thought of yet
• Tools that empower communities to build their own resilience

How to Use Claude

Claude can power your project in countless ways:

• 🤖 Natural language interfaces for complex data or systems
• 💬 Conversational assistants that educate, guide, or support users
• 📊 Data analysis and insights from environmental or emergency datasets
• ✍️ Content generation for educational materials or personalized recommendations
• 🔍 Information extraction from documents, reports, or real-time sources
• 🎯 Smart decision support helping users make informed choices
• 🌐 Multi-language accessibility making solutions globally accessible
• 🧠 Complex reasoning for optimization, planning, or problem-solving

What Makes a Great Project?

✨ Solves a real problem - Address an actual need, even if for a specific community
✨ Leverages Claude effectively - Show creative and thoughtful use of AI capabilities
✨ Has clear impact potential - We can see how this could help people or planet
✨ Works reliably - A polished core feature beats buggy complexity
✨ Tells a compelling story - Help us understand why this matters
✨ Considers ethics - Think about privacy, fairness, and responsible AI use
✨ Could scale - Show us how this could grow beyond today's prototype

What NOT to Build

❌ Projects with malicious, harmful, or unethical purposes
❌ Solutions that don't align with the theme (must relate to resilience/sustainability)
❌ Content inappropriate for general audiences
❌ Projects that violate privacy or exploit user data
❌ Anything that wasn't created during the hackathon timeframe

Remember

• Quality over quantity - One feature done excellently beats many done poorly
• Start simple - Get something working first, then iterate
• Think about users - Who will use this and how will it help them?
• Be creative - The best projects often come from unexpected angles
• Have fun - If you're excited about it, we'll be excited too!

What to Submit

To be eligible for judging, you must submit ALL of the following by 6:00 PM sharp:

📋 Required Submissions 1. ✅ Devpost Project Page

Complete your Devpost submission with:

• Project title that's clear and memorable
• Tagline (short description of what your project does)
• Detailed description explaining:
  • What problem you're solving
  • How your solution works
  • Why it matters
  • How you used Claude (if applicable)
• Category tags to help judges find your project
• Team member names - everyone who contributed

2. ✅ Public GitHub Repository

• Link included in your Devpost submission
• Repository must be set to PUBLIC (private repos will be disqualified!)
• Should contain:
  • All source code created during the hackathon
  • Proper file structure and organization
  • Any configuration files needed to run the project

3. ✅ README.md File

A comprehensive README in your GitHub repo including:

• Project overview - What does it do?
• Installation/setup instructions - How do we run it?
• Usage guide - How do we use it once it's running?
• Tech stack - What technologies, frameworks, and APIs did you use?
• Claude API integration - How did you use Claude (if applicable)?
• Challenges & solutions - What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
• Future plans - What would you build next with more time?
• Team members & contributions - Who built what?

4. ✅ Demo Video (Under 1 Minute)

• Length: Maximum 60 seconds
• Content should show:
  • The problem you're solving
  • Your solution in action (live demo or screen recording)
  • Key features and functionality
  • Impact potential
• Upload to: YouTube (unlisted is fine), Vimeo, or directly to Devpost
• Quality: Clear audio and video - test before submitting!
• Tip: Practice your demo beforehand and script it if needed

5. ✅ Tech Stack Documentation

Clearly list ALL technologies used:

• Programming languages
• Frameworks and libraries
• APIs (especially Claude API!)
• Databases
• Deployment platforms
• Any other tools or services

6. ✅ Challenges & Solutions Section

Brief explanation (can be in README or Devpost) of:

• Technical obstacles you encountered
• How you solved or worked around them
• What you learned in the process
• What you'd do differently next time

🎯 Submission Tips

Before You Click Submit:

• Test that your GitHub repo link works and is public
• Watch your demo video all the way through
• Have someone else read your README - does it make sense?
• Check that all team members are listed
• Verify your video is under 60 seconds
• Proofread your project description
• Make sure you've explained HOW you used Claude (if applicable)

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• 🚫 Submitting with a private GitHub repo
• 🚫 Demo video that's too long or doesn't show the project working
• 🚫 Missing README or incomplete setup instructions
• 🚫 Not explaining what problem you're solving
• 🚫 Forgetting to mention Claude API usage
• 🚫 Submitting after 6:00 PM deadline

🏆 Finalist Presentations

If you're selected as a Top 5 Finalist, you'll also need to:

• Present a 3-minute live demo to judges (strictly timed)
• Be prepared to answer questions about your project
• Have your demo ready to go (test tech setup beforehand!)

⏰ Deadline Reminder

Submissions close at 6:00 PM - NO EXCEPTIONS

We recommend submitting by 5:45 PM to avoid last-minute technical issues. You can always update your submission before the deadline if you find bugs or want to improve your README.

❓ Questions?

If you're unsure about any submission requirements, ask an organizer or mentor before the deadline. Once 6:00 PM hits, we cannot accept late or incomplete submissions.

Good luck, and we can't wait to see what you build! 🚀🌱