Oh My #GoSH

1.                   Introduction to GoSH Hackathon:

The GoSH Hackathon was the first event held in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia; its goals were to Show the way, Open the Door, Shine a Light and Break the mould. It was held on the 11th and 12 of August and well, what an amazing, outstanding event.

Its significance in the tech or innovation community was recognised by the Mayor of Mandurah, the Premier and many other experts in the technology sector.

Technology brings the world together, and we are getting the best in the West to Mandurah.

Over two days, the youth, disruptors, and innovators will be immersed in live demonstrations, listen to expert panellists, be inspired by opportunities presented by industry, and finally, partake in a significant hackathon event open to teams from across Western Australia.

Day One will highlight many pathways to future careers for Western Australian youth and see their talents recognised as innovative disruptors in the technology field.

Day Two will see teams across WA battle it out for prestige and prizes as they work together to solve real-world problems through innovative creativity and technology.

At GoSH, our vision is to highlight many pathways to future careers for youth and to see their talents recognised as innovative disruptors in the technology field.

It was the Largest STEM event attended in Western Australia. 95% of attendance was regional youth.

2.                   Your Motivation and Preparation

I participated in the Hackathon as a Presenter on the Saturday; I was part of the organizing committee in the preparation and arrangement of the event; I was a judge and a parent of children attending the event. (and yes, I did not judge my Children).

 I supported the event because I believe that children are only limited by the information given to them, the people who teach and mentor them and how they are taught. Share your reasons for participating in the hackathon. I know that children learn differently when they are taken away from the classroom. I wanted the young people to understand that their crazy ideas can be helpful in the future.

I wanted the children to learn through osmosis and the practical application of ideas and invention.

The amazing Michelle Wong approached me about being on the committee, and, of course, was my answer. Not realising what I was putting myself forward for, I was also asked to present. I threw myself in wholeheartedly as I was made redundant during this time. So, it gave me a huge opportunity to help Michelle. (Until I started a new job) I am overwhelmingly grateful to Michelle and the team for creating a community around me to help me overcome a difficult time. I am also thankful for Bob Cross. Your conversations and wisdom enabled me to think big and to realise what I wanted.

As I am so used to directing and leading teams, it was so lovely to be in a supportive role. I advised, guided, and supported Michelle Wong, who led this fantastic event.

I also learned that I am capable of more than I thought. Presenting to the kids and energising them to think prominent was so much fun.

I also loved creating drawings and ideas to inspire them, letting my creativity run free and collecting information for them to use in their hackathon.

Creating a Storybook for them was also fun. Seeing them write down their notes and develop their ideas was fascinating. It was important that the kids used their creative skills as well as digital skills to blend the two in the natural and virtual world.

The Team and Collaboration:

The team Included:

•                     The committee

•                     The Sponsors

•                     The volunteers

•                     The entrants

•                     The Schools that attended day one

•                     The Teams that entered the day two event

•                     The Speakers

I realised that how this was run was for Neurodiverse individuals, and as a direct result, everyone benefited from the event. It takes a community of dedicated people with a leader they trust and admire to deliver something of this quality. I also realised that out of this event was born an innovative community that will have fond memories of this event for a long time. We have created a legacy.

 Our amazing Sponsors

GoSH In-Kind Supporters: Curtin University, State Government of Western Australia, PeelChamber of Commerce, Pinjarra Community Bank, Workforce Australia, South Metro TAFE, Jobs and Skills Centre, Curtin Autism Research Group, Mandurah Autism Academy CoderDojo, EOS IT

3.                   Project Idea and Development:

The young people were looking at Solving 3 Sustainable Development Goals related to the Great Southern Region. They included:

• Decline in the health of the Pel Harvey Estuary – Clean Water and sanitation, Life Below Water and Life on Land.
• • Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action
• Peel Food Futures – Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production

The young people were given Comic Books, a Workbook, and pens to help them draw and conceptualise their ideas. The teams were also able to have mentors to help and guide them to their solutions.  

4.                   Mentorship and Workshops:

Every team was assigned a mentor to work with them to help them drive and shape their ideas. It was a highlight to wander on day two and see the visual concepts that the team were coming up with. Some of the children explained their ideas and were happy to share their experiences on camera with their ideas. Some young people would not be as brave in a typical classroom environment.

One team I was lucky enough to see delivered their whole presentation and pitch via Chat GPT and got it to read out to us and pull a script built into their PowerPoint. Some of the teams used Unity or Minecraft to build a prototype, some of the teams and drew a prototype on a whiteboard.

5.                   Innovation and Creativity:

Teams were encouraged to learn from each other, to share their ideas, and to also, if they felt comfortable, showcase their innovations at the end. This happened through osmosis as the parents returned to pick up their children. It was fascinating as we didn’t expect presentations, and we emphasised they were not marked on their presentation but on their collaboration throughout the day. They still wanted to present their ideas to each other.

Discuss how your team approached problem-solving and creativity during the hackathon.

6.                   The Pitch and Presentation:

The judges worked with Head Judge Bob Cross and decided on the winners. There were two different teams of judges for the Primary and the secondary events.

GoSH will send four top secondary teams to represent GoSH at the West TechFest in Perth on December 6. Tables are valued at over $2,000, and Student Edge sponsors participation. Access funding provides 12 families with accommodation at the Pan Pacific in Perth the evening before, solidifying this as an authentic experience for our youth.

Five Hackathon Teams were registered to address the Mandurah Mayor and councillors at a Youth Soapbox event, sharing their hackathon innovation ideas for the sustainable future of Mandurah. The event has been rescheduled for November. Teams will present their hackathon solutions about the local community.

Solutions could be presented in many different forms. Having a creator in a team is very important to put the ideas into action.

7.                   Competition and Challenges:

The competitive atmosphere at the hackathon was almost non-existent; I would describe the hackathon as collaborative. The teams worked hard together and loved innovating. It was like the room was singing.

The most memorable moment for me was on Day 1 when a senior student added to the idea we were developing with the audience, and he said, “Well, at the moment, this is impossible.” I responded, “Nothing is Impossible; even the Word itself says I’m Possible”, and then quoted Audrey Hepburn. The kids then erupted into a frenzy of cheers.

On day 2, the most memorable moment was seeing children drawing and colouring their most creative ideas. This showed that I had encouraged them to be creative and unleash their most innovative way of thinking.

These moments will stay with me forever.

8.                   Networking and Connections:

I was lucky to meet many people in the Great Southern Region. Having only lived regionally for three years and not the most social, meeting like-minded people who care about coaching and mentoring young people through innovation and creativity was charming.

 I now have another network of amazing people. I had never seen some of my friends at Microsoft Present, and George and Michelle were excellent.

9.                   Winning or Lessons Learned:

There were many awards won. But the biggest lesson of all was that there was demand and a need for a place for young people to come to innovate, to invent, to discover and explore their ideas.

Bring on the GoSH of 2024

10.               Impact and Future Plans:

Yes, we have been approached about running it for other areas in Western Australia. Please reach out to @ Explore the potential real-world applications of your project beyond the hackathon.

Share your team's plans for developing or implementing your idea.

11.               Advice for Future Participants:

Be open, have fun and above all, your ideas are limitless. No idea is wild. Come with the crazy ideas. Those are the ideas that we love. Join as a family and get involved. It is the most fun experience you will ever have.

12.               Acknowledgments and Gratitude:

Thank you so much to Michelle Wong and the committee for organising the volunteers, the judges, and the young people, without which this would never have happened. Above all, to the community for believing that we could make this happen—a big thank you to our sponsors for their contributions to the event.

13.               Conclusion and Call to Action:

My personal overall experience was that this was one of the best conferences I have ever attended. What I gained from participating was learning that young people's imaginations are only limited by the boundaries we give them. They are the solution to solving our world's Sustainable Development Goals and the answer to the need for us to be more creative and innovative.

I encourage you all to get involved in a hackathon, share your ideas, support your children if they want to attend an event or attend next year, and embrace creativity and innovation.

This event was out of this world and far exceeded my expectations. My emotions felt that the children loved the event, and my biggest challenge was recovering the next few days. And wow, what a journey this was. Oh my Gosh, a month later, I am still talking about it, still writing about GoSH, and Still wearing my shirt with Pride because this event set the benchmark for Innovation in Western Australia.

GoSH 2024 will be bigger, better, and exceed our greatest expectations again. Watch this space.  

Sarah

A Proud Member of The GoSH Team,

greatsouthernhackathon.com.au

@GoSHackathon

Michelle Wong Michelle Sandford Bob Cross  Jessica Nye Tele Tan AM Natalie Lees Chris Vas Jeremy Chetty George Coldham Alexis McDonald

Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the lands on which we live and collaborate and pay our respects to Elders past and present and the strength of ongoing culture.

GoSH is brought to you by Curtin University and made possible thanks to our amazing sponsors: Alcoa, City of Mandurah, Shire of Murray, Bendigo Bank Halls Head, Peel Development Commission, Government of Western Australia Student Edge Rio Tinto Lotterywest WA Data Science Innovation Hub (WADSIH) Bendigo Bank e2 Young Engineers Australia Everclime Impact, Shire of Murray, Peel Development Commission, Spacecube and IDEA academy.