The University of Regina welcomed 65 undergraduate students from across Saskatchewan to campus for the inaugural Saskatchewan Crown Sector Hackathon (SaskHack). Co-hosted by the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic, in partnership with SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SaskTel, and SGI, the event was the first-of-its-kind.
SaskHack also signifies a new kind of collaboration in Saskatchewan. It is the first hackathon co-hosted by the province's three main post-secondary institutions, bringing together students from across campuses and disciplines to tackle real Crown-sector challenges.
It's a great opportunity for students to get real-world experience working with the Crown corporations Tim Oleskiw, Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University of Regina and SaskHack organizer
What is SaskHack?
Hackathons bring people together in teams to solve a problem in a short period of time. What makes SaskHack unique is its focus on authentic challenges facing Saskatchewan's Crown sector, encouraging students to develop creative and practical solutions close to home.
"It's a great opportunity for students to get real-world experience working with the Crown corporations," says Tim Oleskiw, Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the U of R and one of the SaskHack organizers. "In addition to cash prizes, students get an opportunity for career counselling, mock interviews, and more."
While competition is a key part of any hackathon, by connecting students directly with some of Saskatchewan's largest employers of technology and innovation talent, the event created opportunities for mentorship and networking.
Hannah Kopytko, a Business Information Systems Instructor at Sask Polytech and one of the SaskHack organizers, says building career pathways was an important focus of the event.
"We wanted to line the event up with opportunities in industry. If they're looking for co-operative education or summer internships, we wanted the Crown sector to be thinking about these students when it comes to hiring time," says Kopytko.
Inside the hackathon
The Crown-sector challenge was revealed at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30, and teams were formed on the spot, with some students meeting for the first time that evening. Working intensively, participants brainstormed and developed solutions until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, before pitching their final proposals to a panel of judges representing the Crown partners.
The prompt for this year's hackathon was: A diverse community coming together when challenged.
"This was open-ended by design, as the groups had an opportunity to network with Crown executives and technical staff to learn about specific problems they face," says Oleskiw.
Depending on each team's skillset and approach, the final solutions could take many forms. "A solution might look like a prototype, a safety mechanism, or a protocol or procedure. It should consider how it fits into the industry business model as well," says Kopytko.
At the end of day two, teams then pitched not only what they created, but why it could work and how it could work for Crown-sector operations.
