How do we reconnect as a society after a global pandemic? What solutions can you build to help us heal and repair our community?

This September 2021 Crofton House, in partnership with Volition, will be running its fourth annual Innovation Challenge, inspired by the hackathon model and built on a curriculum of design thinking, critical problem solving and applied creativity. This year’s theme of RE-ENGAGE was driven by the students' question of how we will reconnect as a society after a global pandemic.

Covid-19 forced us all inside and online. Now, with signs of life slowly reopening and returning to normalcy, how can we bring back a sense of community & connectivity to a world that’s been virtual for so long? What solutions can we build to help heal and repair our community?

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is an event in which a large number of people meet to engage and work together in collaboration to create a solution for a specific problem.

Students will have one week (September 20 - 24) to get inspired, ideate and start designing their projects. They’ll also have an opportunity to meet and get feedback on their project from the mentor. Event day will happen all day Saturday, September 25 where teams will have dedicated time with their mentor to finalize their project and get pitch and presentation coaching. Teams will then take the ‘virtual stage’ and pitch their project to a panel of industry experts.

What kind of projects can students work on?

We encourage students to pull inspiration from their own passions. To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few examples of areas in the community projects that could be helpful:

* Climate action: Initiatives to help combat climate change in the community. e.g. Wildfire prevention, proper recycling facilities, plastic reduction.  
* Social action: Homeless shelters, senior care homes, refugees
* Connection: Platforms for communicating with people in your community, between schools and students, workplaces and employees.
* Initiatives to help small and local businesses.
* Mental health

Who can apply?

There is no coding or programming experience required. This is open to all students from Grade 8 -12.  Competitors will work in teams (up to 5) and present their ideas live online at the end of the event. Students can design an app, create a service or prototype a solution that addresses an issue.

Prizes TBA. Join us in improving your community and the world around us!

Who:      Grade 8 - 12 Girls
Where:   Virtual Event, Broadcast from Manrell Hall, Crofton House School
When:    September 20th - 24th (Optional Lead-up Week)
               Saturday, September 25th, 2021  9:15am - 4:00pm

As a school, we use photos and video to celebrate our students and their work. We are pleased to share their successes with parents, guardians, grandparents and the wider CHS community, Volition Advisors and mentors through various media now at our disposal, including the school website and social media. We will be collecting images regularly as part of our school’s communication and we would like to ensure your daughter is included. For many students, seeing their photograph gives them a sense of pride and presents a picture of their contribution as part of the CHS community. Please note, we do not associate students’ surnames with images and parents may request that photos of their daughters be removed at any time by contacting: communications@croftonhouse.ca