College students from three Baltimore excessive faculties just lately spent a day growing and presenting concepts for a way communities in cities equivalent to Baltimore can turn into extra resilient towards the consequences of local weather change and the way metropolis residents can higher address warmth stress and different climate-related well being threats.
The day-long HackGood4 Baltimore hackathon, developed by the Johns Hopkins Office of Economic Development and Community Partnerships in collaboration with Microsoft, inspired greater than 60 college students from Baltimore’s Mervo, Poly, and Reginald F. Lewis excessive faculties to assume creatively about tips on how to confront an vital situation that impacts their metropolis.
College students traveled to the Microsoft Garage in Reston, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 25, for the second annual occasion and labored in groups to develop equitable and actionable options.
“Encouraging college students to take an lively position in addressing sustainability challenges is vital,” stated Julian Goresko, sustainability director for Johns Hopkins College and one of many judges for the hackathon. “The artistic and progressive options introduced immediately are useful. They present these college students are conscious of the problems the town is experiencing and the way actionable options can impression change.”
Picture caption: Greater than 60 college students from three Baltimore excessive faculties took half within the second HackGood4 Balttimore hackathon.
Picture credit score: Avi Gerver Images for Johns Hopkins College
Collaborative options introduced by the scholar groups included concepts associated to creating inexperienced areas, rethinking infrastructure design, and utilizing eco-friendly paint. Along with pondering creatively about tips on how to deal with a real-world problem, the teenagers additionally had the chance to strengthen vital abilities, together with management, communication, presentation, and teamwork.
“It was nice to see how this new expertise impressed college students to actually take into consideration the problems surrounding their metropolis, particularly in relation to sustainability, city island heating, and the consequences of local weather change on weak populations,” stated Meghan Brown, program supervisor for the Johns Hopkins Well being Training and Coaching Corps, or HEAT Corps. “I feel selecting challenges surrounding points particular to city areas like Baltimore actually opened their eyes to points and options that they didn’t beforehand take into consideration.”
Added Brad Holloman, strategic account govt for Microsoft North America: “We had a tremendous time on the HackGood4 Baltimore hackathon. It was phenomenal to see highschool college students from all around the metropolis working collectively and developing with progressive concepts to make our metropolis extra climate-resilient and truthful for everybody. It simply goes to indicate how a lot potential our younger individuals need to make an actual distinction. I am excited to see the place these concepts will take us.”
Picture caption: The occasion happened on April 25 on the Microsoft Storage in Reston, Virginia.
Picture credit score: Avi Gerver Images for Johns Hopkins College
