Over the years, the Call for Code Global Challenge has grown to a community of 400,000 developers and problem solvers with participation from 179 nations. The challenge is now in its fourth year and allows software developers and innovators to contribute towards sustainable open-source technology projects that address social and humanitarian issues.
This year, the theme for the challenge focuses on three pressing issues related to climate change — Clean water and sanitation, zero hunger, and responsible production and green consumption.
Anyone can apply to the challenge, be it software developers, data scientists, innovators and even students. With support from IBM and the Linux Foundation to deploy the solution, prize money of $200,000, collaboration with passionate developers and more, a plethora of benefits are in store for the innovators.
There are many ways to get involved with Call for Code, right from forming a team and competing in the global challenge to designing code for existing open-source projects. If you haven’t yet applied, and are wondering how you can get started, here’s a step-by-step guide.
STEP 1: Join the community
The first thing you need to do is register for the Call for Code community, where you will get access to a free IBM Cloud account with credits worth $200. Here, you will receive communications on the latest announcements, events, resources and more. That’s not all. You also get access to a dedicated Call for Code Slack workspace where you can find team members based on required skills for your idea and access to mentors who will let you in on tips to accelerate app development.
STEP 2: Access free resources
IBM provides starter kits for each of the three problem statements under the theme of climate change. These kits include solution ideas, architectures, code patterns, tutorial videos, API integration documents, expert tools, and more.
Participants can make the most of these kits to seamlessly build their own solution and fight climate change. Here are starter kits for each of the problem statements.
Starter kit for Zero Hunger | Starter Kit for Clean water and sanitation | Starter kit for Responsible production and consumption
STEP 3: Connect with the community
By registering for the Call for Code community, you can find teammates to work with you, network with experts and get your queries answered, or meet other tech-for-good developers from around the world.
Also, don’t miss out on joining the Call for Code Slack channel to get access to mentors and the latest updates.
STEP 4: Submit your solution
Once you find the right team, resources and community, you should be ready to submit your open source solution. The process is simple.
You need to provide a link to publicly access the repository on GitHub so that judges can evaluate the source code behind the solution. Also, include a 3-minute demo video of your project.
Before you submit your solution, you can review the full submission checklist here to make sure all documentation is in place.
Answer the call to lead social change
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to use technology to solve the most pressing issues in the world. Applications for the 2021 Call for Code Global Challenge close on July 31, 2021, and the winners will be announced in November 2021.
