In partnership with the United Nations, the UC Davis Open Source Program Office (OSPO) and DataLab will host a "Reboot the Earth" hackathon. Reboot the Earth is a global initiative that addresses local climate and environmental challenges through open source solutions.
Representatives of local agencies championing each challenge track will serve as subject matter experts; students will also have access to mentors.
Who:
The event is hosted by DataLab and the UC Davis Library, and is open to students of all backgrounds and experience levels, from any university or college. No prior hackathon experience is required—just curiosity and an eagerness to build something that matters. Participants are strongly encouraged to form interdisciplinary teams and include peers from a variety of majors. Each team may have a maximum of five people and has to include at least one UC Davis student.
Why:
Contribute to solving a problem in your community
Get experience working on a cross-functional team
Schedule:
Participation is required for at least part of both days.
Learn More:
At UC Santa Cruz's hackathon in November 2025, the winning team, FireForm, built an AI-powered voice-to-text tool that lets firefighters complete required documentation by speaking naturally instead of typing. They continued developing it after the event, and it has since been certified as a United Nations Digital Public Good.
At UC San Diego (May 2026), the winning team created FireLink, an SMS-based platform that delivers wildfire updates to residents with no internet or smartphone required.
This Open Access Week event underlines the UC Davis Library’s commitment to open science.
Peter J. Shields Library at UC Davis
Friday, October 23, 2026 · All day
Peter J. Shields Library at UC Davis · Room 167