“Hack the City” is a civic hack-a- thon conference that will bring together 20-30 Ottawa post-
secondary students to work in teams of 4-5 to learn about and develop innovative solutions to
today’s greatest civic challenges. Teams will be paired with City Councillors and subject-matter
experts to work on ward-specific issues (Ex: Homelessness, low-income housing, food security,
crime, opioid crisis, etc.). Teams will be assembled based on a number of factors, and sent around the city to learn about specific issues and propose solutions to those issues in an amazing race style event. Then, teams will return to prepare their pitches, and learn from experts who will support them in key parts of their proposals and pitches (financing, lobbying, logistics, etc). Teams will then pitch their proposals to a panel. The top 3 teams will receive monetary prizes and have their proposals compiled in an outcome report to be shared with local stakeholders such as City Council, the City of Ottawa, and local NGOs. Teams may also have an opportunity to continue their projects with the support of a local organization/department.