Teaching Madrid youth to use AI for positive social change
Young people in the Community of Madrid are learning how to use AI to make the world a better place. In May 2025, more than 70 teens participated in an AI Hackathon event hosted by Factoría F5, in collaboration with Microsoft and the City Council of Algete. The event introduced students to generative AI and challenged them to use the technology to design solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges: poverty, public health, and environmental sustainability.
Factoría F5 developed the AI Hackathon as a “practical and creative educational experience that puts young talent, digital ethics, and Sustainable Development Goals at the center.” Funded by the Microsoft Community Fund through the community engagement platform ChangeX, the hackathon introduced students to key generative AI technologies and challenged them to work together to apply these powerful tools to alleviate some of the social challenges identified in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Working together to tackle global sustainability goals with AI
The 12 participating hackathon teams created proposals targeting challenges in mental health, equality, and education. They used AI to develop and give shape to their ideas through text, images, audio, and video. The winning team presented an innovative proposal on mental health. More than 70 students aged 14 to 16 from three Algete schools—IES Al-Satt, IES Bécquer, and Santo Domingo—participated in the event.
The hackathon not only introduced students to an important emerging technology, but also challenged them to work together and think creatively about social issues. IES Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer student Marco reflected, “Me ha parecido una buena experiencia que me va a ayudar en el futuro para hacer nuevos proyectos y utilizar la inteligencia artificial, sobre todo nuevas aplicaciones que no sabía que existían.” Hugo, a CEIPS Santo Domingo Algete teacher, commented on both the creative and applied benefits of the program: “Es una actividad que me parece genial porque va a desarrollar muchísimo su creatividad y van a ver la utilidad de estas aplicaciones que nosotros queremos incentivar a que las utilicen.”
AI is destined to play an important role in students’ future academic and professional development. Events like the AI Hackathon provide exposure to these important technologies in a fun and creative context, ensuring that the next generation can participate fully in an increasingly AI-driven digital economy—and use this powerful resource to make positive social change.
Microsoft y el Ayuntamiento entendimos que colaborar en este tipo de iniciativas para formar a los jóvenes del municipio en estas nuevas tecnologías de la IA y la IA generativa era algo que iba a ser un éxito garantizado.
Javier Peiró, Councilor for Strategy and Development, City of Algete