At The Mad Botter Inc., we love two things: open-source software and using technology to make the world a better place. This year, we’re putting those passions together in a way that gives back—and we’re inviting middle and high school students across the U.S. to join us.
To celebrate Earth Day 2025, we’re launching The Mad Botter Earth Day Open Source Challenge 25. The goal? Create something awesome—an open-source project hosted on GitHub—that helps the planet in some way. The winner will receive a brand-new System76 Thelio desktop, an absolute beast of a machine running Linux, built for serious developers, creators, and future innovators like you.
What Kind of Project?
That’s up to you! Your project just needs to be:
✅ Open-source – It must be publicly available on GitHub.
✅ Environmentally focused – It should help with conservation, climate change, or protecting the natural world.
✅ Creative and useful – It can be code, data science, visualization, hardware, automation, or anything tech-driven that makes a difference.
Need Ideas?
Here are some possibilities, but don’t let this limit you:
- A web app that helps track deforestation or pollution in your area
- A tool that teaches people about renewable energy
- A database for wildlife conservation efforts
- A script that pulls climate data and makes it easy to understand
- A project that promotes responsible farming or animal husbandry
- An open-source guide to volunteering at national parks
If it’s tech-driven, open-source, and helps the environment, it’s fair game!
Who Can Enter?
📌 Middle and high school students (grades 6-12) in the U.S.
📌 No prior experience required – just curiosity and a willingness to learn
How to Enter
- Build your project – Start coding, designing, or hacking away.
- Push it to GitHub – Your project must be public and open-source.
- Submit your entry – We’ll provide a simple submission form before Earth Day and if you’re under 18 that will require written parental permissions. Submissions should be sent to michael<AT>themadbotter.com
Deadline: April 22, 2025 (Earth Day!)
We’ll review submissions and announce a winner in early May. The best project wins a System76 Thelio—a Linux powerhouse designed for real-world change.
Why Am I Doing This?
Because the future needs you. The biggest environmental challenges of our time need creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and technologists. Whether you’re into programming, data, design, or just want to make a difference, this is your chance to build something real—and get rewarded for it.
So, are you in? Grab a few friends, start brainstorming, and let’s see what you can create. The planet (and your future Thelio desktop) are counting on you.
Stay tuned for more details, and if you have questions, drop us just email me at the address above.
Good luck, and happy hacking!
Founder & CEO
The Mad Botter, Inc
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