The Hackathon - Resilience above all else

A few weeks ago, I participated in a Hackathon. The OIS (JVLR) Hackathon is a tournament which incentivises students to think about creative and innovative methods to solve real-world issues using technology. Personally, I think that this competition is an  intelligent way for the next generation of humans to learn to problem solve using technology available to us today.  The word technology has a Greek origin, techne which means art or skill and logia  which means expression or discourse.  Very simply, I think technology means finding and stating a way/skill to solve a problem. To me, that does not mean that technology has to be the most fancy website or gadget.

In the OIS (JVLR) Global Hackathon 2024, the theme for the event was sustainable goals (SDG), finding simple but creative solutions to sustainability issues. Participants were given a choice of 3 problems under a specific SDG goal umbrella - on the day. They had to be prepared to make smart decisions about solving issues present in everyday spheres of society, the environment and the economy, or the three pillars of sustainability.

I think that sustainability as a topic is extremely relevant for today’s day and age, considering the social and environmental landscape. Just look at someone like Greta Thunberg who is constantly fighting for a more sustainable world and you will see just how important it is to lead a reasonably sustainable lifestyle. Currently, in school, this is also one of the topics which I am learning about. Sustainability is all about finding ways to make the quality of life of future generations as good as it is today, if not better even. 

In my project for the Hackathon, we were attempting to solve for the problem of adolescent mental health issues caused due to loneliness and a lack of social contact and interaction. This fell under the SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being. My brother and I were a team, and we initially brainstormed thinking about how teens could come together. Our solution was based on encouraging sharing of learning, skills and interests among small communities. Within the space of 8 hours or so, we attempted to create a very simple database on Microsoft Excel, where teens in the same school or local community (e.g. condos) would offer to teach/share with others something they were good at e.g. coding, musical instruments, sport, cooking or even a love of board games! We added a simple search engine which would help adolescents connect with each other socially and by doing so, simultaneously improving their mental health. We called our product “Find your Tribe”. Future enhancements could include creation of a mobile app with simple messaging service. 

While there would have been other more technologically advanced products, I still found that creating this simple product was a great experience, and it helped me learn more about a serious issue. It also encouraged me to think creatively about the best way to solve a given problem. As of today, the results for the competition have not yet been announced but whatever the result, I think that this competition was a fun and interactive alternative for a day which would have otherwise been a normal weekend. On the other hand, I think that the magic of the Hackathon was that it encouraged students to compete which definitely played a role in causing participants to put that little bit of extra effort into their solutions.

As an individual, I am not the most tech savvy person. This may make you question why I entered this Hackathon in the first place. The truth is, I entered this Hackathon because I wanted to become a better problem solver, not particularly because I wanted to win the competition. While you should generally enter a competition with the mindset that you are trying to win and not just participate, I also think that being successful does not just mean winning all the time. Sometimes, success means trying something new, which is why I am very proud of myself for entering this competition and trying to do my best amongst a field of students who are probably far more skilled with technology than I am.

I think that the event was very well planned. One example of this was the fact that students could either choose to work at home or work physically at the school, which could not have been easy to organise. That also means that the event could be accessed by people internationally which is a great way for schools to make international bonds. One change which I would make for the future, is to make sure that this event or events like these are more widely publicised by schools. I think that it is important for students to learn outside of just the classroom environment and especially for them to put their minds to productive activities.

As a whole, I think that the Hackathon was an event which is a good idea for students to participate in. More schools around the world should come up with competitions or events similar to this one because it can help spark an interest in a field like sustainability. A special Kudos to the JVLR team who were able to plan such an amazing event which was a great experience. “Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.”- Jochen Zeitz.