CityCamp Gainesville Hack Day Sunday, September 20, 2026 | 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM | Reitz Union, Room G330 | University of Florida
CityCamp Gainesville is a community unconference where residents, students, city staff, and nonprofit leaders come together to work on local problems. Last year's CityCamp produced conversations on urban heat, housing, food access, and much more; this year we're adding a hackathon so those conversations turn into working software and hardware!
This is an official MLH Hack Day hosted by Florida Community Innovation, in partnership with NASA!
MAKE SURE YOU ARE SIGNED UP ON THE MLH PAGE HERE: https://events.mlh.com/events/14677-citycamp-gainesville-hack-day
Requirements
What to Build
Pick one of the tracks and build something. This is not a lot of time, so scope accordingly! Don't overbuild.
EMERGE NASA and Environmental Data. Use NASA-supported GLOBE Observer data and other public environmental data to build a map, dashboard, notebook, visualization, or interactive public resource. View the brief for more information.
Gainesville Community Fridge Hardware. Build a low-cost hardware prototype that helps a free, solar-powered community fridge stay cold, powered, stocked, or safe. View the brief for more information.
TanitXR Technical: Build with 3D Heritage Models. Use at least one TanitXR scan to build an interactive experience that helps a public audience explore, understand, or care about Tunisian heritage. View the brief for more information.
TanitXR Public History and Communications. Create a usable public-history or communications experience that connects a defined audience with Tunisian heritage and community-led digital preservation. View the brief for more information.
General Civic Tech. Build a practical tool, prototype, analysis, or public resource that addresses a clearly defined Gainesville community need. View the brief for more information.
Queer Cybersecurity and Digital Safety. Create a defensive, privacy-respecting tool or learning experience that helps LGBTQ+ people or organizations make safer digital choices. View the brief for more information.
What to Submit
Your project must include an artifact someone can interact with. That means of:
- A working application, script, or tool
- A clickable prototype, for example Figma
- A full brief or document
- A hardware prototype
- A data analysis with a reproducible notebook, map, or visualization
Submit by 5 PM on Sunday, September 20.
1. Project Name
2. Which track you addressed
3. Description: At least one paragraph covering what you built, who it helps, and how it works
4. Repository or Project Link (Github, Figma, website, etc)
5. Team members listed on the submission
Demo video is optional but HIGHLY encouraged.
Prizes
Best in NASA EMERGE & Environmental Data
Best in Civic Tech 1
Best in Civic Tech 2
Best use of Google Gemini
Gemini swag bags! This is an opt-in award, so it's not a separate track. Rather, everyone is eligible.
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Caroline Nickerson, PhD
Executive Director, Florida Community Innovation
Nicole Dan
President, Florida Community Innovation
Nikhil Sangamkar
Backend Team Lead, Florida Community Innovation
Olivia Zhang
Data Science for Sustainable Development
Di Yang
Assistant Professor, University of Florida
Amanda Herrera
Judging Criteria
-
Problem and impact
Do you understand the real problem, and would this actually help people in Gainesville? -
Execution
Does it work, and is what you built solid for the time available? -
Design and usability
Would someone actually use this? -
Clarity
Can you explain what you built and why it matters?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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