Our overall objective is to develop and disseminate expertise on creating and conducting hybrid hackathons in a European context, focusing on real-world problems like food waste. The specific objectives encompass the project's scope: 1. To identify and collect best practices for hybrid hackathons, encompassing technological, pedagogical, and organizational aspects. 2. To prepare and train teachers to effectively conduct hybrid hackathons. 3. To facilitate a hybrid hackathon focused on the real-world issue of food waste. 4. To disseminate the expertise gained from this project to a wider audience. 5. To promote broader participation in #edufoodhacks across Europe. These objectives were designed to enhance teachers' abilities to create accessible and impactful learning experiences and to engage students in collaborative problem-solving on a European scale.
We applied for this project to support teachers in orchestrating hybrid and challenge-based learning experiences requiring significant skills and expertise. Educators face challenges creating engaging, collaborative, and accessible learning environments, especially when addressing real-world problems like food waste. Due to logistical constraints, traditional hackathons are often inaccessible to students in rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for digital collaboration skills. We aim to equip teachers with the necessary tools and knowledge to conduct hybrid hackathons by developing comprehensive support materials, including a playbook and training. This project meets the need for enhanced teacher support and prepares students to collaborate, innovate, and act on pressing environmental issues, thereby supporting the digital and green transformation Europe requires.