Sustainability Hackathon: Innovation for a greener tomorrow

The Pitch

Problem statement

Climate change cannot be ignored. A study published in Sept 2022 shows that even the global warming of 1C, a threshold that we have already passed, puts the planet at risk of triggering Climate Tipping Points (CTPs). Triggering of CTPs could have a domino effect increasing the rate at which further CTPs could occur. It will require top-down changes, and the action of individuals to bring about the essential change to save the planet as we know it from disaster. Innovators need a space to bring together their ideas and expertise to find solutions to everyday sustainability problems that local people and communities are facing.

Solution

LIS will bring together diverse people to work collaboratively in competition with each other prototyping ideas for sustainable innovations. Individuals or teams sign-up to the project and spend ~48hrs taking their ideas from conception to prototype. This Hackathon will encourage collaborations beyond the project and will ignite the creation of apps and initiatives beyond the projects completion. The funds received for this project will go towards hiring a suitable venue, staffing and marketing the project to engage the community as widely as possible. Some funds will be reserved for prizes including seed donation for winning ideas to allow them to take the projects forwards.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

.London Innovation Society has been running workshops for young people, entrepreneurs and skills training for 10years and has a wealth of knowledge to share. We have multiple eager facilitators with varied expertise to help teams make progress and problem solve during the project. We have brought together multidisciplinary groups of people to network and be a hub for collaboration throughout this time. Contacts made through LIS have gone on to start businesses, develop ideas together, and continue to strive for a better world through future outreach opportunities. Our local network will allow LIS to deliver this project effectively to create positive change that goes beyond East London.

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

50 people

Expected impact

Hackathon attendees will be able to take forwards an idea into fruition as part of a multidisciplinary team that they would not have had the opportunity to do so without this project. Winning teams will receive donations or other benefits to enable them to continue working on their project following the event, encouraging these entrepreneurs and innovators to take this momentum forwards and further develop and deploy their solution. These projects will have a local and potentially global impact by solving a problem pertinent to sustainability. On registration attendees will be asked questions to understand the barriers they’ve faced with taking forwards their idea previously, and following the event asked for feedback on how positive they feel about continuing with their hack, and how the experience has impacted their connection to the community. Data collected will show that the attendees have been able to make new connections and developed an idea to help the community and planet.

Track record

For almost 10 years we have built a portfolio of workshops within STEM subjects, adding a creative element to engage the community through interactive workshops and events. Bringing together people from all backgrounds to connect and create innovations for their community and planet. We engage with communities in need, eliminating education disparities, and encourage each individual to find their voice and unique skillset. We provide a space for people to build practical skills and knowledge in inclusive peer group settings which builds their confidence and resilience, allowing them to reach their full potential. LIS is a hub for the next generation of innovators, inspiring everyone to build for the future they want to see. "Joining LIS has been fantastic! I have had the opportunity to develop my understanding of coding, which gave me the confidence and drive to transition into this sector for work. The network and support that I received from LIS is the reason I could do this".