NASA Data Hackathon Inspires Community Action

University of Florida hosts event empowering libraries, educators, and individuals to engage in public health and environmental science using real-world data tools and citizen science.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 9:37am

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On January 31, students, library staff, researchers, and community members gathered at the University of Florida's Marston Science Library for the Environmental Monitoring through Education, Research, and Geospatial Engagement (EMERGE) NASA Data Hackathon. The event, hosted by the Geospatial Digital Informatics Lab, SciStarter, and Florida Community Innovation, with support from NASA and UF Libraries, allowed participants to work with real environmental data from the GLOBE Observer app and transform it into maps, dashboards, infographics, and practical insights supporting public health and environmental decision-making.

Why it matters

The EMERGE hackathon empowers libraries, educators, and individuals to engage in public health and environmental science using real-world data tools and citizen science. By working directly with volunteer-collected datasets, participants can see how local observations connect to global research and support community-centered decision-making.

The details

At the center of EMERGE is NASA's GLOBE Observer app, which allows anyone with a smartphone to collect and explore data on mosquito habitats, land cover, clouds, and more. Participants had access to a digital textbook created by the GeoDI Lab that explains how to download, process, visualize, and analyze GLOBE Observer data. At the hackathon, 13 teams came together to build projects analyzing GLOBE data or reenvisioning data collection for the app.

  • The EMERGE NASA Data Hackathon took place on January 31, 2026.
  • The event was hosted at the University of Florida's Marston Science Library.

The players

Geospatial Digital Informatics Lab

Part of the Geography Department at the University of Florida, the GeoDI Lab created a digital textbook to help participants work with GLOBE Observer data.

SciStarter

The world's largest citizen science database, SciStarter was a partner in hosting the EMERGE hackathon.

Florida Community Innovation

A civic technology nonprofit, Florida Community Innovation was a partner in hosting the EMERGE hackathon.

NASA

NASA provided support for the EMERGE hackathon and its focus on the GLOBE Observer app.

University of Florida Libraries

The UF Libraries were a partner in hosting the EMERGE hackathon at the Marston Science Library.

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What’s next

The EMERGE hackathon organizers invite anyone interested in civic tech, public-interest data, and community-centered research to get involved with Florida Community Innovation, which works year-round with students and community partners to build accessible tools, maps, and public resources.

The takeaway

The EMERGE NASA Data Hackathon demonstrates how libraries, educators, and community members can leverage real-world environmental data and citizen science to support public health and environmental decision-making at the local level, while also contributing to global research efforts.