In 2023, WiDS expanded the datathon program to create the University edition, making the resources available to be used in classrooms by higher education institutions around the world. Participating in a WiDS Datathon is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain experience and see an application to a real and critical challenge. WiDS Datathon challenges are based on well-curated, real-world datasets that are not readily available in the public domain; and participant teams are required to have at least 50% women.
Bring the WiDS Datathon to your classroom!
The Challenges
Colleges and universities can interact and work with the WiDS Datathon challenges in multiple ways:
WiDS Datathon Global Challenges
#1: January – March 2025
#2: April – June 2025
These challenges can be offered as a 1-unit☥ course or project in undergraduate or graduate courses that provide a first entry to data science. Similar datasets will be used in both datathon sprints. Students are welcome to participate in one–or both–sprints.
Audience: First entry to data science, data analytics, or machine learning
WiDS Datathon++
September 2024 – June 2025
This challenge, available only to colleges and universities, can be offered as a project in more advanced undergraduate or graduate courses. It can also serve as a capstone course, the base of an honors thesis, independent research, directed research, or a standalone 3-unit☥ course. The challenge will be designed not just to support the competition, but also to prompt discussions to generate additional insights and to understand the real-world implications of the results.
Audience: Advanced students
The WiDS Datathon gave me the sense of how to handle such big datasets in data science. As I belong to the data science department at my college, I have a great project to work on because of this hackathon.
— Rutuja Thakra
Undergraduate Student
It is hard sometimes to find good datasets for student projects, and WiDS has really made my job so much easier.
— Emily Lada
Assistant Professor
Why integrate the datathon into your course curricula?
- Provide a unique learning experience: integrate a hands-on project with unique data that is relatively unexplored, and in a fun, competition setting
- Access to data: well-curated and designed real–world data not available (therefore not accessible) to the public
- Enhance curriculum: incorporate different and collaborative ways to learn, with a potential to be used as a capstone project
- Broad applicability: options for both beginner and advanced level data science students
- Access to global community: expose students to diverse perspectives
WiDS Datathon Instructor Resources
We are excited to be a resource to help you and your students succeed! The WiDS Datathon team provides a variety of resources for educational instructors, including:
Implementation Guide
Easy step-by-step instructions and guidance about how to bring the WiDS Datathon to your course.
Tutorials and Class Resources
We will provide a kit of technical tutorials and skill-building materials.
Monthly Meetups & Community
Discuss best practices, bring your questions and interact with other course instructors and mentors!