About 370 students from across the province are taking part in a unique event at Western University that challenges students to use technology in an innovative way
Called Hack Western, students competed for prizes, including a trip to South Korea, where they can hack away for four days.
Robert Kuramshin and his team from St. Teresa high school in Richmond Hill created a spin on the classic smart board.
“It’s something we thought would be useful in the classroom,” he says. It’s cheaper and uses info red sensors instead of a touch screen. You can easily mount it and it's cheaper for schools.”
The weekend long competition allows students of all levels a chance to solve problems using technology.
“For 36 hours of the whole year you have some of the brightest minds in Ontario coming together and working with one another,” says organizer Artur Tsurkan.
With close to 1,000 tech jobs currently available in the city, this hackathon is a great opportunity for local tech companies to come out and find new talent.
“It's a great way to get to know people even high school students. For them to learn about the different technology companies within London, there are so many opportunities and we are always looking for top talent and hackathon is a great source for that,” says Heather Coy-Robinson of CarProof.
The hackathon began at 11 p.m. Friday and participants worked through the night creating all sorts of unique tech hacks, such as websites, apps and hardware.
On Sunday, participants will present their creations to judges.
