The Claude Builders Club Hackathon is a 4-day AI build sprint at African Leadership University, Kigali - and the capstone event of our Spring 2026 programme.
Inspired by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's essay "Machines of Loving Grace," this hackathon challenges you to build AI-powered solutions to real problems across five social impact tracks. You'll use the Claude API, Claude Code, and related AI infrastructure to go from idea to working prototype in four days.
This event is part of a 78-university global initiative spanning 12 countries, backed by Anthropic.
🗓 Build Sprint: May 25–28, 2026
🏁 Demo & Prize Day: May 29, 2026
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TRACKS
- Biology & Physical Health: Make healthcare more accessible or help people manage physical health.
- Neuroscience & Mental Health: Expand access to mental health support and understanding.
- Economic Empowerment & Education: Remove barriers to learning and opportunity.
- Governance & Collaboration: Help people participate in democracy or work together better.
- Creative Flourishing: Amplify human creativity and help people find meaning.
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WHAT JUDGES ARE LOOKING FOR
- Impact Potential (25 pts): Does this solve a real problem? Who benefits and how?
- Technical Execution (30 pts): Does it work? Is it well-built? Effective use of AI?
- Ethical Alignment (25 pts): Centers human dignity? Addresses potential harms?
- Presentation (20 pts): Can you clearly explain what you built and why it matters?
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RESOURCES FOR PARTICIPANTS
- Claude Pro access for the build period
- $25 Claude API credit per builder
- Mentorship and support throughout the sprint
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PRIZES
$1,500 in Claude API credits distributed to winning teams.
The winning team also receives automatic nomination to compete at the ALU Club Hackathon (June 2026).
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This hackathon also serves as the official qualifying round for the ALU Club Hackathon - a campus-wide multi-club event co-led by the Claude Builder Club and Frappe Club.
Requirements
What to Build
Build a working AI-powered application using the Claude API that addresses a real problem within one of the five hackathon tracks:
- Biology & Physical Health
- Neuroscience & Mental Health
- Economic Empowerment & Education
- Governance & Collaboration
- Creative Flourishing
Your project must meaningfully use Claude as part of its core functionality - not just as a chatbot wrapper. Think tools, agents, workflows, or products that create genuine value for real users in an African or global context.
Teams: 1–3 people. Each person may only be on one team.
What to Submit
By May 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM (Kigali time), submit the following on Devpost:
- Project name and one-line description
- Track your project belongs to
- A short demo video (2–5 minutes) showing your working prototype
- A link to your GitHub repository (must be public)
- A written description covering: the problem, your solution, how Claude is used, and the impact you're aiming for
Incomplete submissions will not be judged.
Prizes
1st Place
$750 worth of API credits for the winners.
2nd Place
$500 worth of API Credits
3rd Place
$250 worth of API Credits
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Judging Criteria
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Creativity & Novelty
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Use of Claude
All projects must use Claude in some significant capacity.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
Invite others to compete
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