FROM tackling loneliness and food poverty to easing St Helier’s parking problems, dozens of Jersey teenagers spent 24 hours using artificial intelligence to devise solutions to some of the Island’s biggest challenges.
40 young people aged 12-18 took part in last week’s Youth Hackathon event, which was modelled on the previous version for adults organised by Digital Jersey.
The event saw teams given 24 hours to refine an idea, develop a prototype and prepare a pitch presentation, and resulted in a number of awards for the top creations.
The award for Most Impact for Jersey went to SideQuest, which Digital Jersey described as “a platform connecting islanders with local people looking for support with short jobs and tasks”.
The award for Best Pitch went to Wise Food, a platform aiming to hel users access affordable food and reduce their food’s carbon footprint.
F Park won the award for Best Prototype. It aims to create a better parking network in St Helier by making private spaces available.
And the special judges’ award went to the Parish Pal Network, a project tackling loneliness in old age.
Digital Jersey innovation manager Charlie Miles praised the students for developing their prototypes and pitches in two days or 16 hours, and for their “problem-solving, creativity and digital confidence”.
He said: “What impressed me most wasn’t just the technology the students created, it was their understanding of the challenges facing Jersey and their determination to find practical solutions.”
Mentor Liam Burgess praised the teams he worked with for the “impressive” quality and speed of their work, while judge Geraldine Evans described the creativity exhibited by all as “genuinely inspiring”.
The event was sponsored by business tech company Prosperity 24/7 and is part of a wider strategy by Digital Jersey targeting young people and helping them develop tech skills. This includes training, work experience programmes, and career development.
The judging panel was made up of Ian Webb, chair of the Institute of Directors digital sub-committee, Prosperity 24/7 chief operating officer Geraldine Evans, and business strategy and AI consultant François Chesnay.
