7 March, 2017
JADS team wins Bounce Backathon with app that combats loneliness
Using data to create an innovative and useable solution that helps people break out of their social isolation is what the winning team - with JADS students - managed to do during the Bounce Backathon, the hackathon for social resilience. In a 24-hour period during the weekend of 10 - 11 February, over 60 professionals and students gathered in the picturesque buildings of the Jheronimus Academy of Data Science in the ’s Hertogenbosch to challenge their brains and each other, and to apply their know-how to create more social empowerment for the people of the province of Brabant
The Challenge
Participating teams in the hackathon were given the choice between a number of challenges. The JADS student team chose the challenge pitched by the Roosendaal authorities regarding loneliness. “Over the past years, as city, we’ve amassed much data on social issues. The data shows loneliness to be one of the major issues in our city, being a problem in all age groups. Fighting loneliness is difficult though, because it’s difficult to reach the people concerned. We were looking for a new approach that would be effective in getting to them and helping overcome feelings of loneliness. The hackathon was a unique opportunity to try and find out-of-the box solutions from new, exciting perspectives,” Marij Quirijnen, researcher and advisor for the Roosendaal authorities, explains. “The results were way beyond what we had hoped for! Real eye-openers!”
SpeakUp app helps overcome loneliness
Besides the JADS team, two other teams also competed in the loneliness challenge. “The sheer enthusiasm of all participants was so inspiring! The JADS students won the hackathon with their incredibly simple, yet effective SpeakUp app. Say, you want to go the gym, but not on your own. The app helps you find people to join you. A simple and great way to battle loneliness,” Quirijnen points out.
Data Lab
“The next step will be for the JADS team to present their app to the decision makers within the council. We’ll also be asking the other two teams to present their solutions, which will also possibly used by us. We’re planning on setting up a data lab and are eager to find out in which way these innovative ideas could be of added value.”
> Read more on Twitter
> Read more on Facebook
> Read more on the Bounce Backathon website (in Dutch)
The Challenge
Participating teams in the hackathon were given the choice between a number of challenges. The JADS student team chose the challenge pitched by the Roosendaal authorities regarding loneliness. “Over the past years, as city, we’ve amassed much data on social issues. The data shows loneliness to be one of the major issues in our city, being a problem in all age groups. Fighting loneliness is difficult though, because it’s difficult to reach the people concerned. We were looking for a new approach that would be effective in getting to them and helping overcome feelings of loneliness. The hackathon was a unique opportunity to try and find out-of-the box solutions from new, exciting perspectives,” Marij Quirijnen, researcher and advisor for the Roosendaal authorities, explains. “The results were way beyond what we had hoped for! Real eye-openers!”
SpeakUp app helps overcome loneliness
Besides the JADS team, two other teams also competed in the loneliness challenge. “The sheer enthusiasm of all participants was so inspiring! The JADS students won the hackathon with their incredibly simple, yet effective SpeakUp app. Say, you want to go the gym, but not on your own. The app helps you find people to join you. A simple and great way to battle loneliness,” Quirijnen points out.
Data Lab
“The next step will be for the JADS team to present their app to the decision makers within the council. We’ll also be asking the other two teams to present their solutions, which will also possibly used by us. We’re planning on setting up a data lab and are eager to find out in which way these innovative ideas could be of added value.”
> Read more on Twitter
> Read more on Facebook
> Read more on the Bounce Backathon website (in Dutch)
