March 27-29, 2026
at the University of Maryland.
Social Impact BuildFest is a weekend-long event where students team up to prototype immersive tech experiences that tackle real-world challenges. With guidance from technical mentors and Social Impact Experts, students will learn how to design experiences that are thoughtful, responsible and genuinely useful.
BuildFest is a supportive environment. It is not about being the best coder in the room. It is about curiosity, collaboration and building something meaningful.
A panel of industry judges will award prizes to top teams. All teams will be invited to continue development of their projects as part of Immersive Media Design’s summer program, New Works Incubator and to showcase their projects as part of the campus-wide fall arts festival, NextNOW Fest.
*Space is limited. Once all spots are filled, a waitlist will be started for additional applicants. Applications will be accepted until March 25, 2026.
Event information
Eligibility
BuildFest is open to any students at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Buildfest is for people who want to find creative solutions to social issues in their community. BuildFest is at its best when there are people from all backgrounds, majors, and passions.
BuildFest teaches you how to use technology to make the world a better place. You will leave with new technical skills and a portfolio-ready project you can show off.
Being tech-savvy is helpful, but it is not required at all. We have a curriculum planned to support beginners, plus technical experts and mentors available throughout the entire production process.
Space is extremely limited. All applications received before the deadline will be given priority; in the event that there are more applications than spots for participants, a lottery selection process will be used.
Theme
The theme of Social Impact Buildfest 2026 @ UMD is belonging. “Belonging” is the feeling of being seen, accepted, and valued within a group or space. In today’s world, it is more important than ever to foster environments, both physical and digital, where individuals feel a genuine sense of connection and inclusion.
During the ideation phase of BuildFest, there will be Social Impact Experts available to support teams and help ensure projects are sensitive and genuinely impactful. Participants will explore themes like the following, but teams are encouraged to take the concept of belonging in any direction that inspires them:
- Mental Health and Wellness
- Disability Inclusion
- Race Visibility
- Gender Inclusivity
- Voter Suppression
Tech Partner
Participants will be building with Scenery, a platform that makes it easy to create and share mobile augmented reality (AR) and Apple Vision Pro experiences. A key feature is the ability to publish an AR experience as an App Clip, which means people can try it on Apple iOS devices without downloading an app.
Scenery is beginner-friendly, but it also supports advanced features for developers who want to go deeper. During the weekend, participants will get access to workshops, tutorials, and support channels.
Schedule
Friday, March 27 (Evening)
Design
Workshops, guided ideation, and team formation. You will learn the tools and how to shape an idea into a grounded, responsible concept. Dinner will be provided!
Saturday, March 28 (All-Day)
Build
Prototype sprint day. Expect lots of experimenting and learning fast, with mentors available when you get stuck. Meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) will be provided!
Sunday, March 29 (Morning)
Present
Teams share what they built, who it is for, and why it matters. You will get feedback, celebrate, and leave with a clear next step if you want to keep building. A panel of industry judges will also award prizes to top teams. Breakfast will be provided!
Detailed schedule information will be sent to registered participants in advance of Buildfest.
Location
Do Good Accelerator
7878 Diamondback Drive, Suite B
College Park, MD 20740
Entrance located behind The Hotel at The University of Maryland.
Buildfest FAQs
Is there a fee to participate in Buildfest?
Nope! The event is free for participating students and meals will be provided during the event.
What should I bring with me to Buildfest?
Bring a laptop and charger and headphones. Scenery is an Apple OS and iOS platform, so please bring any iphones, ipads, or Mac laptops that you have. There will be additional Apple devices onsite for students that do not have their own.
I have never written code before, is that okay?
YES! While having some existing development experience is great, this event is designed for people like you who have never done any AR development at all. You will be guided through the entire building process.
Do I have to attend the whole weekend?
Friday evening attendance is required, since that is when we do onboarding, guided ideation, and team formation. Saturday is mostly hands-on build time with your team, so if you need to step out for a bit, that is okay. Sunday will be focused on getting your project and presentation ready to share with the judges; we highly recommend attending all of the Sunday morning session. That said, you will get the most out of BuildFest by being present as much as you can.
Do I have to form a team before I sign up?
No! While we encourage you to bring your friends, there is no expectation that you arrive with a team already formed. We will do a guided team formation activity to match you with awesome people who want to work on the same kind of projects as you.
I’m interested in being a volunteer or technical mentor, how do I get involved?
Fantastic! Please email Social Impact Buildfest @ UMD Program Manager, Jonathan David Martin, martinjd@umd.edu, to find out more about volunteer and mentoring opportunities.
How can I find out more about accessibility accommodations?
Please email Social Impact Buildfest @ UMD Program Manager, Jonathan David Martin, martinjd@umd.edu, with any specific questions regarding accessibility accommodations.
Event partners
Social Impact BuildFest 2026 @ UMD is presented by Arts for All, Immersive Media Design, The Do Good Institute and MAVRIC, with support from the XR Club and additional partners, TBA. Buildfest @ UMD is produced by Immersive Media Design, MAVRIC and Texas Immersive Institute with support from the Immersive Experience Alliance.
Social Impact Buildfest 2026 is a national series of events produced by Texas Immersive Institute and the Immersive Experience Alliance (IXA) at IXA member institutions: The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Maryland, College Park, University of Colorado Boulder, and Georgia State University.