Social Good Hackathon: Maximizing Potential @ West Valley College

Build technology that serves your community.

The AI for Social Good Hackathon is a one-day event at West Valley College, hosted by Maximizing Potential, the student-run nonprofit founded here on campus.

Every track is built around a real need identified by a local community organization. You’ll join a team, build a working prototype with AI, and present it to judges, including the partners themselves. The best projects don’t end at demo day: partners get the first look at every prototype built for their track, with an eye toward adopting it after the event.

The tracks

Senior Fraud and Scams, with Successful Aging Solutions & Community Consulting (SASCC): How can we build helpful tools that support seniors' ability to detect, avoid, and report scams and fraud?

Community Engagement, with the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce: How can we engage the community and educate them about Saratoga's great businesses and activities in a fun, interactive way?

Volunteer Coordination, with the Kiwanis Club of Campbell: How can we help organizations recruit volunteers, match them to the right roles and schedules, and make volunteering simple and rewarding?

Prizes

$1,000 in prizes, sponsored by Maximizing Potential:🥇 1st place: $500🥈 2nd place: $300🥉 3rd place: $200

Projects are judged on real-world impact and feasibility.

Who should come?

The event is free and open to the public: West Valley students, students from nearby community colleges, high school students, and anyone who wants to build with AI for good.

Register individually and find your team during check-in, or come with a team already formed. Bring a laptop and a willingness to collaborate.

Schedule

9:00 – 10:15 AM · Check-in and team matching10:15 – 10:45 AM · Opening and track introductions10:45 – 11:45 AM · Panel with our community partners11:45 AM – 2:15 PM · Build2:15 – 3:30 PM · Judging3:30 – 4:05 PM · Winners announced4:05 – 4:35 PM · Ceremony4:35 – 5:00 PM · NetworkingSnacks and lunch provided!

The build session is 2.5 hours, so aim for a small, working prototype that solves one problem well.