Oct 23–25 · NYC + online

Spooky Civic AI Hackathon

Three days of building civic AI with NYC nonprofits and neighbors, ending in a public Demo Day.

See what they built

Demo Day · Sun Oct 25

People's Choice: vote for your favorite team

Voting is closed. Winners announced at 4:45.

Today · Build day

Saturday, Oct 24

Jay Conference, 109 W 39th St, 2nd floor (Bryant Park)

11am to 5pm

  • Walk-ins welcome. Come solo and we'll match you with a team at 11am.
  • Find your team number, track and captain on the team sheet. Rename your team there.
  • Building from home? Everything runs on Discord.
  • Lunch is provided, thanks to Vonage.

Submissions close Saturday at 11:59pm ET.

--h --m --s

Join the DiscordHow to submit

Tomorrow

Sunday, Oct 25: Demo Day

Luma Studios, 307 W 38th St, Studio 1701

Doors open 2:30pm, teams at 1:30pm

Free and open to the public. Drop in anytime and bring a friend.

RSVP for Demo Day

Schedule

  1. 1:30pmTeams check in, get a table number, and set up. We provide the posters.
  2. 2:00pmJudges visit every table (teams only).
  3. 2:30pmDoors open to the public. Science fair and People’s Choice voting.
  4. 3:30pmTop 5 teams announced. Get your laptop ready for the stage.
  5. 3:45pmTop 5 teams demo on stage: 4 minutes plus 1 minute of Q&A.
  6. 4:15pmPeople’s Choice voting closes.
  7. 4:30pmAwards.
  8. 5:00pmWrap up. Everyone helps pack up by 5:30.

Due Saturday at 11:59pm ET

How to submit

  1. Repo link

    A link to your code.

  2. Demo video

    2 minutes max. Show it working.

  3. Short writeup

    The problem, who it helps, how it works, and what tools you used.

Submit your project
  • Solo virtual projects are welcome. In-person teams are 2 to 5 people.
  • Judges pre-score every submission before Demo Day.

Judging rubric

Judges score seven criteria from 1 to 5 each, for a total of 35 points. A 2 or 4 means you landed between two levels.

  • Judges only credit what you show at the table. Claims you don’t demo count for nothing.
  • A working demo beats a polished presentation.
  • Ties go to the team with the higher Real need score. If that’s tied too, the judges decide together.
  • Real need(Tie-breaker)1–5 pts
    How well the problem fits a defined NYC nonprofit or neighbor.
    1
    Problem unidentified or unsupported; no defined user
    2
    Plausible but generic; not specific to NYC nonprofits or neighbors
    3
    Genuine NYC problem; no evidence of contact with affected users
    4
    Defined user and problem with first-hand evidence (interviews, cases, data)
    5
    Specific, urgent, validated need; an organization or resident could adopt it now

    Judges look at: Named users, first-hand contact, and how they handle it today
    Not the same as: Market size or pitch polish

  • It works1–5 pts
    Whether it actually runs.
    1
    No running system; poster or slides only
    2
    Mockup, screenshots or recorded demo; no live execution
    3
    Core path runs but is brittle, or only the builders can operate it
    4
    Core path runs live on judge input; few edge-case failures
    5
    The judge operates it end to end, and it does what you claim

    Judges look at: Live operation on input the judge gives you, including a case you didn’t script
    Not the same as: Presentation quality or mockups

  • Safe + fair1–5 pts
    Responsible handling of personal information, and fair outcomes.
    1
    No treatment of personal data or bias
    2
    Risks acknowledged; no mitigations
    3
    Partial mitigations (data minimization, disclosures) with real gaps
    4
    Clear data handling (collection, retention, access) and a way to detect bias or errors
    5
    Privacy and fairness by design, with evidence: minimal data, testing on varied inputs, human oversight of high-stakes outputs

    Judges look at: What you collect, store and share; how you catch errors and unfair results; human review of high-stakes outputs
    Not the same as: General claims about the model, or demo security

  • Reach1–5 pts
    Whether the people it’s for can actually use it.
    1
    Needs things the target users lack (device, account, expertise)
    2
    Single language, or install or onboarding friction
    3
    Works on mobile; language, literacy or access barriers remain
    4
    Mobile-first, plain language, plus at least one more language or channel (SMS, voice)
    5
    The target population can use it today: their language, their device, no install

    Judges look at: Language, device, connectivity, install and account requirements
    Not the same as: How easy it is for the judges or your team

  • Team1–5 pts
    Co-creation by Citizens and Builders.
    1
    Single contributor, or only one track on the team
    2
    Citizens and Builders both present; one in name only
    3
    Both engaged; one mostly reviewing
    4
    Both shaped real decisions; some work siloed
    5
    Citizens drove the problem and design, Builders the build, and each can explain the other’s contribution

    Judges look at: Who set the requirements, who built, and whether each can explain the other’s part
    Not the same as: Headcount

  • Fellows1–5 pts
    Real participation by 3percentclub fellows.
    1
    No fellows on the team
    2
    Fellow on the roster; no clear contribution
    3
    Fellow made a clear, specific contribution (research, design, build or testing)
    4
    Fellow shaped major decisions and owned a major part
    5
    Fellow-led

    Judges look at: A fellow clearly owns a part of the project, or the whole thing
    Not the same as: Just being on the roster

  • Partner tools1–5 pts
    Real use of Vonage APIs (texts, calls, video), a Viam robot arm, or Tavily search. Any track can score here.
    1
    None
    2
    Bolted on; removing it changes nothing
    3
    Supports a real feature, but the project works without it
    4
    A major feature depends on it
    5
    Core: removing it defeats the project’s purpose

    Judges look at: Whether removing the tool would weaken or break the project. Vonage use also helps your Reach score.
    Not the same as: A logo or a mention

How to present on Demo Day

Table demo (every team)About 4 minutes per judge visit
  • Judges come to your table from 2:00pm. Give a 2-minute walkthrough, then take questions.
  • Show it running on your laptop, and let the judge try it with their own input. No slides needed.
  • Your poster says your team name, the problem, who it helps, and the tools you used. We provide the posters.
Stage demo (top 5 only)4 minutes plus 1 minute of Q&A, hard stop
  • Use any format you like: PowerPoint, Google Slides, or straight into a live demo. Keep slides to 3 or fewer.
  • A good flow: the problem (30 seconds), the live demo (3 minutes), what’s next (30 seconds).
  • Bring your laptop and charger, plus an HDMI or USB-C adapter if you have one.
  • Keep your 2-minute demo video ready as a backup in case the Wi-Fi drops.

Discord

Get help

Join the Discord
  • /verifyLinks your registration email and unlocks the hackathon channels.
  • /teamFinds or forms a team in #find-a-team.
  • /mentorAsks for help, and a mentor will pick it up.

Channels

  • #hackathon-updates Announcements
  • #find-a-team Find teammates

Looking for your team? Check the team sheet.

Physical AI teams: Viam support is on Discord Saturday.

Pick one

Tracks and problems

Physical AI for Good, with Viam

Build AI that moves. No robotics experience needed.

Civic AI

Pick a partner problem or bring your own civic idea.

Partner problems

  • Judi Desire, Uptown & Boogie Healthy Project (St. Nicholas Miracle Garden, Harlem): a robot arm that plants one seed in each cell of a seedling tray.
  • A help chat that answers from scattered docs and alerts, shows its sources, and says "I don't know" instead of guessing.
Not sure what to build? 10 ideas
  • EducationA homework helper that explains a school notice in a parent’s home language.
  • HealthcareA tool that turns discharge instructions into a simple daily checklist.
  • ClimateA heat alert that tells neighbors where the nearest cooling center is open.
  • SustainabilityA photo-based sorter that says what goes in recycling, compost or trash.
  • TransportationA trip planner that flags broken elevators for wheelchair riders.
  • HousingA tenant helper that drafts a repair request and tracks the reply.
  • Food accessA finder for food pantries open right now, with what they have today.
  • Public safetyA tool that summarizes 311 reports on a block into plain English.
  • Government servicesA form helper that walks someone through a benefits application step by step.
  • AccessibilityA reader that describes a flyer or menu out loud for people with low vision.

Want the full problem briefs? Read the builder guide.

Announced at Demo Day

Prizes

  • Best overall$200
  • Fellows prize$100 + a 1:1 session with a tech recruiter
  • People’s Choice$100 (public vote at Demo Day)
  • Miss Congeniality$50 (the kindest, most supportive member at the hackathon)
  • Tavily credits1st place 30,000, 2nd place 20,000.
  • Physical AI for Good, with ViamThe winning team takes home a robot arm kit.

Optional

Tools, credits and what to build with them

You don't have to use any of these. If you do, here's what each one is good for, a few civic ideas, and where to get set up.

Tavily

Live web search for your AI

Use it when your app needs facts from today, not from the model’s training data, and you want to show sources.

Ideas
  • A benefits helper that pulls the current rules from nyc.gov and links each answer to its source.
  • A help chat that searches before it answers and says "I don’t know" when nothing turns up.
  • A tenant tool that finds the right city agency and phone number for a repair complaint.
Where

Free credits for every builder. The code only works Saturday and Sunday:

app.tavily.com/redeem/SPOOKY Copy-paste setup prompt

Vonage

Text, voice and WhatsApp

Use it to reach people who won’t download an app: send texts, take calls, or run a WhatsApp bot.

Ideas
  • Text a question, get an answer: a food pantry finder that works on any flip phone.
  • A heat or flood alert that texts a block when conditions turn dangerous.
  • A voice line that reads a school notice out loud in a parent’s home language.
Where

Claim your credits:

vonage.dev/SpookyCivicAIHackathon Copy-paste setup prompt

NVIDIA models

Free model API, no GPU needed

Use it to call open models (chat, vision, speech) for free without setting up any hardware.

Ideas
  • Snap a photo of a flyer or menu and have a vision model describe it for someone with low vision.
  • Turn a long hospital discharge sheet into a short daily checklist.
  • Sort a photo into recycling, compost or trash.
Where

Get a free key:

build.nvidia.com Copy-paste setup prompt

Brev GPU credits

Your own GPU, if you truly need one

Most teams don’t need this. Use it only to fine-tune a model or run one too big for the free APIs.

Ideas
  • Fine-tune a small model on plant photos to spot unhealthy leaves.
  • Run a private model so sensitive data (health, immigration) never leaves your machine.
Where

One code per team. Form your team first, then email Maria with your team name:

maria@3percentclub.org Copy-paste setup prompt

Viam

Connect AI to cameras, sensors and hardware

Use it when your project touches the real world: a camera, a sensor, a pump, a Raspberry Pi.

Ideas
  • Judi’s garden: a smarter watering timer that runs short 2–5 minute pump cycles on solar, no Wi-Fi.
  • A camera that watches seed trays and flags empty cells.
  • A sensor that logs soil moisture and texts a gardener (with Vonage) when plants need water.
Where

Make a free account:

app.viam.com Viam Discord Connect a device to Wi-Fi (captive portal guide)

Combine them

  • Tavily + VonageText a question about city services and get a sourced answer back by SMS.
  • NVIDIA + VonageText a photo of a notice and get a plain-English summary in your language.
  • Viam + VonageA garden sensor that texts the gardener when the soil is dry or the pump stops.
  • Tavily + NVIDIAA research assistant for a nonprofit that finds grants and drafts a one-page summary.

Copy-paste prompts for your coding agent: open the setup guide.

Show the weekend

Share your photos

Add your photos

Posting? Tag @3pctclub, @viam, @vonage and @tavily.

Thank you to our partners

  • Viam

    Physical AI track + mentors

  • Vonage

    Food, Demo Day venue, API credits

  • Tavily

    Search credits

  • Civic Hall

    Friday venue

All weekend

Code of conduct

  • Be kind.
  • No harassment of any kind.
  • Respect photo preferences. Ask before photographing someone.
  • Build your own work.

Need help on site? Find anyone wearing a staff name tag, or message us in Discord.

Quick answers

FAQ

Can I still join?

Yes. Walk in Saturday or build from home.

Do I need a team?

No. Come solo and we’ll match you with a team at 11am.

Do I need to code?

No. Mixed teams win.

Is it free?

Yes.

What should I bring?

A laptop, a charger, and a costume if you want.

Can I come only to Demo Day?

Yes. RSVP on Luma and drop in anytime 2:30 to 5pm Sunday.

Do I need a poster for Demo Day?

We provide the posters. Bring your laptop so you can demo at your table.

Can I bring my dog?

Sorry, no dogs at Demo Day.

Where do updates happen?

#hackathon-updates on Discord.

The fellowship has ended for this season. Follow 3percentclub.org for the next cohort.