Virtual AI For Good Datathon — Hosted by DSSG NYC & DSSG Berlin

​This event is free! Donations are welcome, as we are fundraising to build nonprofit tech for charities :)

​Overview

​This year we're collaborating with DSSG Berlin to host the 8th DSSG Berlin Datathon (data science hackathon)! We'll partner with nonprofits in NYC and Berlin to solve their issues remotely.

​You can find out more about DSSG Berlin here or reach out to dssgber@gmail.com for questions.

​You can find out more about DSSG NYC here or reach out to dssgnyc@gmail.com for questions.

​

​What is a Datathon?

​A Datathon is a fast-paced, collaborative virtual hackathon that partners up curious, clever, quantitative data people (that’s you!) with empathetic non-profit people (you’ll love them!) to take a stab at real analytical challenges that our partner non-profit organizations are facing. During 24 hours you’ll have a chance to step away from your regular problem sets, contribute to a good cause, and meet other socially minded problem solvers. It is a fantastic opportunity to apply your technical skills, collaborate on open-source repositories via GitHub, network with like-minded developers, and contribute directly to an impactful cause.

​

​Who should sign up?

​Data scientists, data analysts, data engineers, data people of all walks of life. As long as you are eager to pick up new skills and work together with others on the challenges, we would love to have you there! We are a diverse and inclusive group. Please come, no matter your race, gender and sexual orientation. We support the https://berlincodeofconduct.org.

​

​Want to volunteer with us?

​Fill out the Google Form here.

​

​What do I need?

​Get your own computer ready and any software that you might need! We provide the data, GitHub repositories to share the code, etc. For communication, we will use Slack and Google Meets.

​

​Who's involved & what are the projects?

​HTTP Archive — Analyzing web infrastructure to build scalable open-data products for social impact

​HTTP Archive is an open-source research initiative that tracks how the web is built, monitoring performance, accessibility, and technology adoption across over 17 million websites. In a multi-phase collaboration spanning this Datathon and a potential long-term project, DSSG Berlin and HTTP Archive will explore this massive 244 TB BigQuery dataset to solve key digital maturity and web performance challenges. During the DSSG Datathon 2026, volunteers will explore and analyze the dataset, brainstorm data solutions, and present findings and prototypes.

​Federated Data Pool — Developing a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for German welfare data

​The Federated Data Pool is a collaborative initiative between Caritas, AWO, and other German welfare organizations dedicated to harmonizing and sharing social service data across Germany. In collaboration with DSSG Berlin, this project aims to build a hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Agentic AI systems to seamlessly interact with complex semantic data structures. During the DSSG Datathon 2026, volunteers will work in specialized subteams to construct the MCP architecture, develop custom tools, resources, and prompts, and build interactive UI showcases.

​Kings Against Violence Initiative — Building an open resource map to connect system-impacted youth in Brooklyn with support services

​KAVI is a youth-serving organization committed to preventing and ending interpersonal violence through advocacy, peer leadership, community mobilization, and social justice. KAVI operates youth violence intervention programs in Central Brooklyn. Their programs take place in schools and hospital-based settings, where they work with a broad range of partners to implement community strengthening and healing programs. In this Datathon, volunteers will build a map that presents all the available resources and programs for young incarcerated individuals.