9 December 2024
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Pupils from 13 South Limburg schools joined forces for a sustainable future.
During the annual Kids Hackathon with the theme "Heat for Everyone," 200 students from grades 7 and 8 (elementary school) and grades 1 and 2 (secondary schools) gathered at the Brightlands Smart Services Campus for a day of innovation and "hacking."
A sustainable future in the making
After a warm welcome by Pieter Custers of the Brightlands Smart Services Campus and opening remarks by Delegate Elianne Demollin-Schneiders, the young talents got to work. In 20 teams of 8 to 10 students, they worked on creative and innovative solutions to the energy challenges of the future. Their goal? To develop ideas for a fair and affordable energy supply.
"This Kids Hackathon is a great example of how Limburg is committed to innovation, sustainability and inclusion. We want to be a region where everyone, regardless of background, can participate in progress. What makes this event so special is that it is a great form for young people to participate in finding ideas for the issues in Limburg society. This is Limburg at its best: a province that stimulates innovation and cooperation for a better future", said Representative Elianne Demollin-Schneiders.
Lessons and workshops in preparation
In preparation for the hackathon, students attended lessons at school about sustainability and technological innovations. During the hackathon itself, there were several workshops and interactive activities, including:
- Roman heating: heat from the ground, by the Roman Museum .
- Romans in Limburg: the story of Villa Voerendaal, by Restaura
- Heat explorers: smart choices for heat, by WoonWijzerWinkel
- Warmtewerkplaats Zuil-Limburg: build your own heat network, by Municipality of Sittard-Geleen
- Pitch Perfect, by The Next Lab
These workshops helped students further develop their ideas and translate them into concrete plans. The groups were guided by experts from business, the Dutch Societal Innovation Hub (DSIH) and students from Zuyd University, Maastricht University and Grotius College.
According to Bart Alofs of STEAM Limburg, "Because the children were already taking classes at school on important topics such as energy conservation and climate awareness, they were able to put theory into practice during the hackathon. It was great to see how they came up with creative and innovative ideas around the theme 'Warmth for Everyone'. Their solutions show that young generations are not only aware of the challenges of the future but also have the motivation to actively contribute to them."
Goals of the Kids Hackathon
- Involving young people in social issues: By getting them to think about sustainability at an early age, they learn to understand its importance and actively engage in it.
- Encourage creative thinking: The hackathon challenges young people to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.
- Fostering collaboration: Connecting schools, businesses and professionals from the region creates a network in which knowledge and ideas are shared.
The finale: exciting and inspiring
The day ended with an exciting finale, in which six teams presented their innovative ideas to an expert jury. The presentation was led by Klaas van Kruistum, who kept the audience on the edge of their seats with his enthusiasm.
The ideas presented were diverse, creative and focused on the future. They included an insulating kettle with energy recovery, an app that provides energy-saving tips, and a solution to store energy in old mine shafts. Also passing by were concepts such as low-energy houses with water in the walls and a device that moves heat from one room to another.
The idea of the day was a new form of wind turbines integrated with solar panels, which eventually emerged as the winner.
The jury, comprised of Walter Pijls (Brightlands Smart Services Campus), Martin de Beer (Municipality of Heerlen), Jason Li (Dadawan), Bart Alofs (STEAM Limburg) and Kirsten Dolmans (LVO, Broekland College), was impressed by the quality and feasibility of the solutions, which are in line with Heerlen's ambition to further develop into a smart, sustainable city that is future-proof.
"The ideas presented fit well with Heerlen's ambition to become a smart, sustainable and future-proof city. In fact, we are so enthusiastic that the municipality is going to see if some of these ideas can be developed further. It is wonderful to see how young talents are contributing to the future of our city," said Martin de Beer, alderman for the economy and sustainability of the Municipality of Heerlen.
A successful day full of energy
The Kids Hackathon once again demonstrated how young talent can bring a fresh perspective to complex issues. Organizers and partners look back with pride on a day that focused on the power of collaboration and innovation. The ideas of the students showed not only their creativity, but also their will to contribute to a better future.
Partners
This event was made possible by the cooperation between the municipality of Heerlen, STEAM Limburg, Gebiedscoöperatie Parkstad, Rabobank, APG, Mabs4.0 and the Brightlands Smart Services Campus.