TUM São Paulo: Tech_la wins first German-Brazilian EdTech Hackathon in the education area

TUM Global, News, TUM São Paulo |

With 100 applications in its first year, the German-Brazilian EdTech Hackathon was an immediate success. The event is a follow-up to the German-Brazilian Education Forum. The format is intended to jointly develop sustainable solutions for the education sector. TUM São Paulo was one of the main organizers of the event, which took place in São Paulo from August 22 to 24.

Photo of the participants, organizers and the jury at the end of the competition
All participants, organizers and the jury of the EdTech Hackathon. In the middle: the winning team from Tech_la. Image: TUM São Paulo

The German-Brazilian EdTech Hackathon aims to help strengthen the exchange between Brazil and Germany. The goal is to find joint solutions to challenges in digital education that can be easily replicated and used by many people.

Liaison officer Sören Metz chaired the three-day event as co-moderator. Three academic representatives from TUM were also in São Paulo: Prof. Daniel Pittich, Professor of Technology Didactics at the TUM School of Education, took part in an academic workshop that preceded the hackathon. His research assistant Anna Maria Schneider was on site as a mentor and TUM Emeriti of Excellence Prof. Kristina Reiss was invited as a jury member.

Accessibility, equal opportunities, and environmental protection as core topics

The organizing team selected 30 participants from more than 100 applications from all over Brazil, who spent three days working on digital and creative solutions to various educational topics – such as barrier-free use of the Moodle learning platform for the visually impaired. "The teams presented innovative and target group-oriented products within a very short time," emphasizes Anna Maria Schneider.

In the end, the project from Tech_la prevailed: The team developed a low-cost device to be used for music education in schools that do not have access to musical instruments.

The winning team also participated in the German-Brazilian Congress for Innovation and Sustainability 2022 in São Paulo at the end of September. Second place went to the CICLOS team with its idea for a digital platform to promote environmental awareness among schoolchildren aged seven to 14.

The closing event of the German-Brazilian EdTech Hackathon on YouTube
 

Cooperation partners and funding

The event was a cooperation of TUM São Paulo, WWU Münster and its spin-off re:edu, Freie Universität Berlin, Gesellschaft für Akademische Studienvorbereitung und Testentwicklung e.V., and the Goethe-Institut. Many thanks also to the German German Center for Research and Innovation São Paulo for the financial support of the event.