WCIT Hosts Inaugural Schools Hackathon to Empower Displaced People

City Livery company promotes the use of technology for good in society

City of London, June 20th, 2023 – The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT), in collaboration with City of London University, held a highly successful Hackathon on Thursday, June 15th in London. The event brought together talented sixth form students from Hammersmith Academy and Lillian Baylis secondary schools (both schools are supported by WCIT). The event aimed to tackle the pressing challenges faced by displaced people and to answer the question “how can technology help”. All the participants displayed outstanding creativity and innovation to generate innovative and practical ideas regarding how tech can help those who find themselves displaced.

The Hackathon demonstrated the power of technology to address the needs of displaced people. These are individuals who have been forcibly removed from their homes due to conflict, persecution, natural disasters, or other circumstances. They include refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and those who face precarious living conditions in their home countries.

“We’re delighted to have hosted this inaugural hackathon to generate ideas about how technology can help displaced people” said Rob Wirszycz, Master at WCIT. “It was great to see what talented STEM students can do when they put their minds to it.”

The pupils demonstrated their remarkable talents and dedication by developing a wide array of exciting solutions. They considered how a range of technologies could help, these included AI, biometrics, wearables, alternative communications and personal thermal power sources. Their ideas included streamlined information sharing, language translation, job market integration, mental health support, and cultural exchange platforms.

The distinguished panel of Hackathon judges included Rob Wirszycz, WCIT Master, Nick Santos-Pedro, Digital Manager for the Refugee Council and Professor Sue Black OBE, Computer Scientist, academic, and social entrepreneur.

“The teams all took the Hackathon seriously and worked together to produce a great result. You could tell that all the students who took part really cared about displaced people and were thinking deeply about how technology could help them in their everyday lives” said Nick Santos-Pedro, Digital Manager for The Refugee Council.

The judges unanimously declared the team from Lilian Baylis as the winners. These young bright minds demonstrated exceptional talent and passion for harnessing technology to address the challenges faced by displaced people.

The WCIT thanks the pupils, schools, judges, and all those involved for their outstanding contributions and commitment to this great cause. The Hackathon exemplified the transformative potential of technology to empower displaced people and create a more inclusive society.