The Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology (BEST) program at the Lassonde School of Engineering is running a virtual three-day experiential learning event called UNHack, Nov. 20, 21 and 22.
More than 400 student changemakers will work on interdisciplinary teams to solve some of the world’s most important problems using Design Sprint methodology. From climate change to improving education systems, they will learn how they can impact society, starting from even the smallest scale.
The weekend is designed to be an immersive experiential program where participants can learn about creative problem solving, team building and about themselves. York University students from engineering, business, science, health, environmental and urban change, and humanities, will work on teams with high school students from Grades 11 and 12. The event will teach them how to define an important problem, develop a viable solution and build an implementation plan.
Over the course of the three days, the students will learn to:
- Discover their passion;
- Appreciate how they can make a difference;
- Connect with like-minded people during a shared experience;
- Identify a real problem, develop potential solutions, select and validate best solution;
- Understand how to assess desirability, viability and feasibility;
- Work in a dynamic team to nurture team and leadership skills;
- Experience creative problem-solving approaches;
- Meet students, mentors, and advisors to expand their network;
- Explore future career options.
This year’s challenges will focus on a theme centred on the United Nations’ (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as quality education, climate action, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, good health and well-being. Participants will also focus on a series of York University Sustainability Challenges such as how to reduce organic waste on campus, how to improve waste management and recycling on campus, and how to reduce the impact of smoking that impacts non-smokers on campus.
To learn more, visit http://www.bestlassonde.ca/unhack/.