The EdTech Hackathon has been organized by TUM São Paulo in collaboration with the University of Münster, Freie Universität Berlin, re:edu and DWIH São Paulo at the Goethe-Institut São Paulo since 2022. This year, there were around 200 applications from all over Brazil. From these, 40 participants were selected. They worked on technical solutions for the education sector in São Paulo from August 8 to 10.
The Green Seed project addresses the problem of disposing of organic waste. Brazil has 2.2 million tons of such waste every day, but only 2 percent is disposed of properly. Green Seed uses educational toys such as a garden mini kit, a compost garbage can, and an app that uses sensors. Children learn to dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way through play. The toys are to be made from recyclable materials and produced in an environmentally friendly way.
Winning team receives short-term scholarship for a Goethe-Institut in Germany
The reward for the commitment of Green Seed: One project team member will receive a two-week scholarship to a Goethe-Institut in Germany. The prize includes 1,800 euros for flight tickets and visits to the hackathon's partner universities. The DWIH São Paulo funds the trip.
Second and third place went to the aiinclusion" and "E-Braille" projects. The second-placed group, aiinclusion, presented an AI solution for preparing lessons for teachers with disabilities such as ADHD. The E-Braille team developed a mini Braille device for blind and visually impaired people.
During the hackathon, all participants were supported by numerous mentors. One of them was Anna Maria Schneider from the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology. She contributed her expertise in internet safety for children to the teams.
Sören Metz, TUM São Paulo Liaison Officer, was impressed by the teams' work: “Everyone did an excellent job implementing the hackathon theme. It's amazing what the teams achieved in two and a half days. Their ideas are not only forward-looking but also feasible. One can only imagine their progress with a month or a year of development time.”
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