SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC
Students pitch big ideas at inaugural Saskatchewan Hackathon

Last weekend 65 undergraduate students from across Saskatchewan participated in the inaugural Saskatchewan Crown Sector Hackathon (SaskHack).  Co-hosted by Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan, and, in partnership with SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SaskTel, and SGI, the event was the first-of-its-kind.

What is SaskHack?

SaskHack is 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.

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 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 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 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.

SaskHack gave students the chance to test their skills in a fast-paced, team-based environment and helped open doors to mentorship and industry connections. With a strong showing, SaskHack is building momentum to continue supporting the development of emerging talent across the province.