5 IDEAS FOR RURAL REVITALIZATION BORN IN A UNIVERSITY HACKATHON

Many people express concern about the challenges youth face, such as high rates of mental health problems and unemployment, and the impact of social media on their well-being.

Also, some people criticize them for being distracted and sensitive, or for being lazy and not willing to work hard.

This past Saturday (January 21st) at 9:00 am (it was freezing cold in Pamplona), more than 120 students from the University of Navarra participated in a Hackathon called ImaginPlanet Challenge to create innovative solutions for two important challenges facing society:

1. Supporting rural areas 🏔

2. A healthy and sustainable food system 🥕

It was exciting to see university students taking an active role in finding innovative solutions for these crucial challenges. The enthusiasm, passion for impact, and camaraderie they displayed is a clear indication that they are eager for change.

The solutions that came up range from utilizing technology to increase access to resources, to fostering economic development and community engagement.

Let's share the 5 top ideas they came up with to support and strengthen our dear rural areas.

1. Directory of university internships in rural areas:

This platform would connect rural internship opportunities with students. It would contribute to the necessary generational replacement in various areas and allow new generations to experience living in the rural world.

2. Groups recovering rural real estate:

This initiative aims to attract groups of people who want to contribute to the preservation of rural heritage. Target groups could include youth or companies that want to volunteer and support with their hands.

3. Preservation of gastronomic wisdom:

This idea, inspired by Netflix, is based on a cooking truck that visits different villages where elders prepare their best local recipes for tourists. These recipies would be registered online so that they are preserved and accessible.

4. Airbnb Experiences for rural areas:

Create a directory where anyone can find local experiences offered in rural areas. The directory would have different categories and criteria that can be filtered by.

5. Opportunities for migrants and refugees:

In the past decade, the global refugee crisis has more than doubled in scope. Over 1.2% of the global population have been forced to leave their homes. This initiative proposes that rural areas that need labor consider hosting them.

Incredible the joint efforts done by several institutions to make this social and environmental Hackathon happen. This initiative is part of the ImaginPlanet Challenge, and it is possible thanks to the collaboration of Imagin app, the University of Navarra, Imagine Creativity Center and Innovation Factory Unav.

ROORAL is proud to have participated in this rural hackathon, inspiring and guiding students through this innovation experience. Spaces like these provide an opportunity for the ideas and potential of young people to flourish and ultimately pave the way for creating the world we need.

PS: If you are in the pessimistic group, come to one of these hackathons. Where attention goes, energy flows. They are contagious 🔥

Summary video of the event