Block-a-thon for Social Good 2026: UN Sustainable Development Goals
Adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
Judging Criteria
This year students will focus on designing blockchain solutions, which can be combined with other technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to advance:
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Blockathon Process:
The Blockathon takes place as part of the summer institute from Wednesday, August 26th to Saturday, August 29th as the culmination of the 2-week Blockchain@UBC Summer Institute.
On the first day of the summer institute, students will be assigned by the course instructors to groups of four or five multidisciplinary teams based on their backgrounds/area of study. Students will be given time on the first day to get to know one another and to start to think about which of the UN SDGs they would like to concentrate their blockathon project on. Students should have selected which goal they will work on by Friday, August 21st so that the instructors are able to identify suitable mentors.
Blockathon teams will take a hacker approach to put blockchain ideas to work in responding to one of the UN SDGs. Experienced blockchain industry and infrastructure mentors will be on hand to mentor the teams. Mentors will be available to participating teams during the Blockathon to offer advice and assistance on solution design and development.
Between 9:00-Noon on Saturday, August 29th, a panel of judges will evaluate each team’s submission and presentations according to the judging criteria. Students will also evaluate one another’s submissions.