About the hackathon
CivicHacks is a Major League Hacking event where teams build software that strengthens communities and serves the public good. The 2026 edition drew students from around 20 universities across four tracks: EcoHack, CityHack, EduHack, and JusticeHack.
The track we competed in
We competed in EcoHack, which asks for technology that tackles environmental and ecological problems including food equity. Judging weighed real-world impact and technical execution, so we aimed at a civic problem a planner could actually act on.
What we built
FoodGrid maps food access inequality across Boston census tracts. It pulls grocery, transit, and demographic data to surface where residents face the longest trips to fresh food, and splits into two views: one for residents checking their own area and one for government planners comparing tracts.
What we won
We won Best Overall and Best in the EcoHack track.