DC AI Week: Code for Planet

Join students, public-sector agencies, environmental organizations, researchers, and technology partners from across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia to build open-source AI and data tools for the water challenges shaping the DMV. ProgramEarth is working with district, state, and local agencies across the region to translate active environmental initiatives into hands-on project tracks. Participants will work with public datasets and agency-informed challenges to develop AI agents, dashboards, APIs, GIS applications, and reusable data infrastructure that support water planning, monitoring, restoration, and public engagement. Projects will be built in public repositories with documented data sources, methods, and deployment instructions so agencies, researchers, and community organizations can continue developing and adapting the work after the event. Agency-informed project calls may include: Washington, DC: Build an open-source GIS tool using DOEE flood-risk data to identify where blue-green infrastructure could reduce neighborhood flooding. (DOEE) Maryland: Create a dashboard that helps agencies track nutrient and sediment pollution, watershed restoration, and Chesapeake Bay water-quality progress. (Department of the Environment) Virginia: Develop a platform that maps water-quality monitoring gaps and connects agency, community-monitoring, water-withdrawal, and supply-planning data. (Virginia DEQ) Why attend: Learn how to apply AI, GIS, APIs, and open data to public-sector water initiatives Hear directly from agency, research, and environmental leaders Build around practical regional needs rather than hypothetical prompts Contribute open-source tools that can continue beyond the event Meet students, technologists, researchers, nonprofits, and public servants from across the DMV Explore pathways into environmental technology, public-sector innovation, and water stewardship Students from DMV universities, HBCUs, and community colleges—as well as government green teams, developers, designers, researchers, data professionals, and storytellers—are especially encouraged to participate. All skill levels are welcome. Come build technology that can move from an open repository into real environmental work. 🕰️ Program Agenda: 9-9:30am: Check-in + breakfast 9:30-10am: Welcome + challenge overview 10-10:30am: Agency and environmental dataset presentations 10:30-11am: Project tracks walkthrough 11-11:30am: Technical onboarding 11:30-12pm: Team formation 12-3pm: Build session 3-4pm: Mentor support + project refinement 4-5pm: Project demos Check out our recent hackathons ✉️ Email any questions to [email protected]