📌About the Event

ACM womENcourage™ 2026 Hackathon is a full-day, in-person hackathon organised as part of the ACM Celebration of Women in Computing 2026 in Sophia Antipolis, French Riviera, France. The hackathon focuses on using computer science, AI, data, cybersecurity, software development, design, and interdisciplinary ideas to create technology-driven solutions for well-being and support for women in computing. It is open to participants from all genders, nationalities, and backgrounds, including beginners and experienced tech participants.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Theme: Well-being and Support for Women in Computing
• Main conference theme: “Unmute Yourself, Grow Stronger Together. Listen to Your Inner Voice and Walk on Your Own Path for Well-being in Computing”
• Mode of conduct: Offline / in-person
• Venue: Polytech Nice Sophia, Sophia Tech Campus, 930 Route des Colles, Sophia Antipolis, France
• Hackathon date: September 30, 2026
• Conference dates: September 30 – October 2, 2026
• Format: Full-day hackathon with ideation, solution development, slide deck preparation, and final pitch
• Challenge focus: Technology solutions for well-being, education, career growth, digital well-being, and inclusivity
• How to join: Participants need to register through the general conference registration form and then select/join the hackathon through the form provided there.

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📅 Important Dates

• Hackathon registration opens: June 17, 2026
• Late registration deadline for hackathon: September 3, 2026
• Hackathon day: September 30, 2026
• Conference dates: September 30 – October 2, 2026

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibility: Open to participants of all genders, nationalities, and ages 18+.
• Experience requirement: No prior IT experience is mandatory; interest in technology is the key requirement.
• Who can participate: Students, professionals, enthusiasts, beginners, programmers, designers, and people from interdisciplinary backgrounds can join.
• Preferred team diversity: The organisers encourage multidisciplinary teams from computer science, software development, cybersecurity, data science, AI, well-being, and psychology.
• Challenge selection: Participants can choose from proposed hackathon challenges or propose their own original idea aligned with the event theme.
• Hackathon schedule:
  • Registration and opening session
  • Discovery and ideation
  • Solution development
  • Slide deck preparation
  • Final pitch round
• Pitch format: Each team gets 3 minutes to pitch and 2 minutes for jury questions.
• Mentor support: Mentors will be available during the event to guide teams and help participants contribute meaningfully.
• Evaluation process: The official scoring rubric is not published yet. Based on the official format, teams will present their solution to a jury, and recognition will likely depend on innovation, impact, creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Certificate: Registration includes an electronic participation certificate / Certificate of Attendance.
• Networking: Participants get to connect with students, researchers, professionals, mentors, and the global women-in-computing community.
• Career exposure: Conference registration also includes access to the Career Fair, workshops, tutorials, poster sessions, plenary sessions, and panels.