The first elementary school entrepreneurial hackathon was successfully completed this Saturday, which brought together an extremely talented group of elementary school students, providing them with a platform for developing entrepreneurial skills and exploring innovative ideas. This competition was very dynamic, encouraging young participants (aged 11 to 14) to design and present their business concepts. Six elementary school teams from the Šibenik-Knin County participated in the hackathon, and it was held on the campus at the Fortress of St. Ivan.
The event started with an introductory lecture by the mentor, after which the elementary school students organized themselves into teams to develop their business ideas. Connecting the teams was realized through the game “1. a step into entrepreneurship”, which aimed to show elementary school students how the business process works and how every decision in the business process has certain consequences.
After the game, the contestants were challenged to develop business concepts by solving real problems in their environment. After designing their product or service, they demonstrated their ideas by creating a short business plan, which included product/service description, target audience, monetization and marketing strategy, and was a key part of the competition. Each team had the opportunity to present their idea and prototype in front of the judges and the audience. Teams were evaluated based on innovation, feasibility, presentation skills and potential for growth, standing out as gifted entrepreneurs of the future.
Competitors fought for high prizes that contributed to encouraging their entrepreneurial spirit – first place was won by the Juraj Šižgorić Elementary School team from Šibenik with the idea of creating a new type of construction material that would be made from construction waste that would be used as raw material for a 3D printer. Second place was won by the Brodarica elementary school team with the idea of starting small shops next to every school in Šibenik. The team delighted the jury with its presentation and elaboration of the business plan. Third place was also won by the team from Brodarica Elementary School, which designed a VR capsule that would change the experience of watching movies and playing computer games.
This hackathon not only provided a platform for creativity and entrepreneurship, but also encouraged the youth to innovate and think of solutions to real problems in the world around them. Learning through experience was key to this competition, providing young people with valuable skills for future challenges and we are sure that the experiences and knowledge they gained at the hackathon will encourage them to be more entrepreneurial in their future work.
Let us remind you that on December 2nd, a robotics hackathon will be organized where, through the assembly, programming and management of robots, students will have the task of preparing their robot as best as possible for the tasks they will be given at the very beginning of the hackathon. The last is a climate change hackathon scheduled for December 9. Topics such as melting glaciers, forest fires and rising seas will be the backbone of the hackathon, and through play and the fun of working in teams, the best developed idea will win.
Elementary schools from the area of Šibenik-Knin County can apply to participate in hackathons. There can be several teams from the same elementary school, and there must be at least five students in the team. The best three teams of each hackathon expect prizes, and applications are available at the following links: robotics and climate change .
Hackathons are conducted as part of the “Regional Science Center – RaSTEM” project, which is financed from the EEA financial mechanism for the period from 2014 to 2021 and within the implementation of the “Local Development and Poverty Reduction” program.
The city of Šibenik is the project holder.
