Transform NY STEP: Design Your Student Challenge
Traditional STEM lessons fail to engage underrepresented students—how will you spark their curiosity?
Oct 22 to Dec 12, 2026
Regions
Experiential learning projects by region
18 real-world projects across 3 regions, built by 35 people. Browse what teams built for each region and the challenges coming up there.
- Regions
- 3
- Projects
- 18
- Builders
- 35
- Open or upcoming
- 2
Pick a region
Where the impact of each project lands. Most challenges run online, so you can join from anywhere.
United States
Northeast
7 projects · 9 builders · 2 open
- Knowledge Graphs
- Python
- Ontology Mapping
United States
South
6 projects · 14 builders
- Knowledge Graphs
- OpenAlex API
- Retrieval Augmented Generation
United States
Midwest
5 projects · 12 builders
- Natural Language Processing
- Rule-Based Classification
- Named Entity Recognition
Also by area: United States
Open and upcoming challenges
Externship-style projects with mentors. Free to join, on your own or with a team.
Fix the Broken Map: Rebuilding America's Homeless Resources Data
Outdated shelter data leaves thousands calling disconnected numbers while empty beds go unfilled. Can you fix it?
Nov 19 to Nov 22, 2026
Featured projects
Winners first, then the most complete projects.
KnowHax: HelioKNOW
Helio-KNOW: Heliophysics Data Exploration Platform
Interface for exploring heliophysics data through networks, tables, and timelines
Jun 2024
Open Science & Research
Knowledge Graphs · OpenAlex API · Retrieval Augmented Generation
Video
CollabNext
CollabNext Team 20: Knowledge Graph Q&A System for Research
Plain-language chatbot to discover underrepresented researchers in OpenAlex knowledge graph
1 builder · Sep 2025
Video
Hack Climate Models
Climate Data Literature Ontology and Entity Recognition System
Structured knowledge base and entity recognition for climate research publications and datasets
1 builder · Sep 2025
Video
Secure SaaS Supply Chains
SBOM Analyzer with NLP Query System
Tool that analyzes software dependencies and vulnerabilities using real-time knowledge graph data
5 builders · Apr 2025
Video
DREAM-KG Homelessness Support
Knowledge Graphs for Homelessness Resource Connection
Knowledge graphs and user interface connecting homeless individuals with real-time support resources
1 builder · Apr 2026
Education
Network Graphs · OpenAlex API · Python
Video
CollabNext
Geographical Mapping Integration for HBCU Research Networks
Interactive map visualizing HBCU research collaborations and institutional connections through OpenAlex data
6 builders · Sep 2025
Meet the builders
People who shipped these projects. Their profiles show the skills they proved.
Questions
Which region has the most projects?
Northeast, with 7 projects, followed by South (6). Every page here lists its projects, the people who built them and the skills they used.
How are projects grouped by regions?
By where the impact of the project lands: the community, lab or organization it was built for. Most challenges run online, so builders join from anywhere.
Is a GenHax challenge an internship or an externship?
It works like an externship: a short, remote team project on a real problem, with mentors. Challenges are free to join and unpaid. Every submitted solution gets a public page you can show to employers and schools.
Can I join a challenge now?
Yes. 2 challenges are open or coming up, starting with Transform NY STEP: Design Your Student Challenge. Join on your own or with a team; it is free.
Build something like this
Join a team, prove your skills on a real problem and get mentored by people who do this for a living.
Find a challengeHost a challenge like this
Bring an open problem. Teams of students and professionals turn it into working solutions you can see.
Host a challenge