About the Challenge

The Claude Builder Hackathon is the Claude Builder Club's first-ever hackathon, hosted at the University of Ghana in partnership with Anthropic.

Inspired by Dario Amodei's essay "Machines of Loving Grace" this hackathon challenges students to build AI-powered solutions that address real social challenges across Africa. Think healthcare access, mental health support, financial inclusion, education, governance, language preservation, if AI can be a force for good in that space, we want to see it built.

 

Teams of 2–3 will have four hours of build time to go from idea to working proof of concept. We're not looking for polished products, we want working ideas that demonstrate how AI can meaningfully serve communities.

Get started

  1. Form a team of 2–3 (or register solo and we'll help match you).
  2. Pick a social impact challenge that matters to you.
  3. Build your solution using any tools you like, but projects that creatively leverage Claude and Anthropic's tools will be viewed favorably.
  4. Submit your project on DevPost by 4:00 PM on March 28th. Your submission should include a project name, short description, GitHub repo link, demo video or screenshots, and a brief explanation of how it connects to the theme.

Helpful resources to get you started:

 

  • Anthropic API Documentation
  • Anthropic Quickstart Guide
  • Claude Code - command-line tool for agentic coding
  • Anthropic Cookbook - code snippets and workflow guides
  • Anthropic Quickstart Repo - application templates

Requirements

What to Build

Build an AI-powered solution that addresses a real social challenge in one or more of the following areas: health, education, economic development, governance, or creative and cultural impact. Your project should demonstrate how AI can be a meaningful force for good,  not just a technical showcase.

You can build a web app, mobile app, command-line tool, bot, browser extension, or any other format that brings your idea to life. Use any programming language, framework, or API you like. Projects that creatively integrate Claude and Anthropic's tools will be viewed favorably.

Remember: we're looking for a working proof of concept, not a finished product. A rough demo that clearly solves a problem beats a polished interface that doesn't do much.

What to Submit

All submissions must be made on DevPost by 3:30 PM on Saturday, March 28th. Your submission must include:

  1. Project name
  2. A short description of what your project does and the problem it solves (2–3 sentences)
  3. Which social impact area it addresses (health, education, finance, governance, or creative/cultural)
  4. Team member names and contact information
  5. A link to your GitHub repository(newly built)
  6. A demo video (2–3 minutes) or screenshots showing your project in action
  7. A brief explanation of how your project connects to the "Machines of Loving Grace" theme
  8. A note on which AI tools or APIs you used and how

Incomplete submissions or submissions made after the deadline will not be considered for judging.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$198+ in prizes
+ other prizes
Anthropic API Credits
3 winners

1st place: $750 in API Credits
2nd place: $500 in API Credits
3rd Place: $250 in API Credits

1st Place
$90 in cash
1 winner

2nd Place
$63 in cash
1 winner

3rd Place
$45 in cash
1 winner

Free Enrollment to GAIA IT Academy
1 winner

Free enrollment to GAIA's IT Academy worth GHC 9,000 shared among members of winning team.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Adwoa Yeboah Asante Afari

Adwoa Yeboah Asante Afari
Operations Director, Divas in AI

Habiba Adam Salisu

Habiba Adam Salisu
Software Engineer

Paul Nii Tackie Ammah

Paul Nii Tackie Ammah
Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Ghana

Judging Criteria

  • Impact Potential (25 points)
    Does your project solve a real problem that affects real people? Who benefits and how? Could this solution scale beyond a hackathon demo to create lasting change in communities?
  • Technical Execution (30 points)
    Does your project work? Is it well-built and functional? Does it make effective use of AI tools? This is the highest-weighted criterion — your core feature needs to run without breaking.
  • Ethical Alignment (25 points)
    Does your solution center human dignity? Have you considered potential harms or unintended consequences? Does it expand access equitably rather than deepening existing gaps?
  • Presentation (20 points)
    Can you clearly explain what you built and why it matters? Judges are reviewing many projects — a concise, compelling explanation of your problem, solution, and impact goes a long way.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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