DIFERAL Hackathon in Novara: Three Days of Creativity, Exploration, and Environmental Innovation
From 29 to 31 October 2025, students and teachers from across the DIFERAL consortium participated in a three-day Hackathon in Novara, Italy — an immersive experience designed to connect environmental awareness, creativity, and inclusive learning. The event was hosted by CSCI, and combined urban exploration, hands-on teamwork, and problem-solving activities that directly contribute to the development of the DIFERAL MOOC.
Day 1 – Starting the Journey
The Hackathon opened with a welcome session introducing students to the goals and expected outcomes of the activity, linked to the DIFERAL Competence Framework. Through interactive discussions, students reflected on the importance of everyday environmental action and took part in role-playing activities that emphasized inclusivity, collaboration, and creative thinking — setting the tone for the days ahead.
Day 2 – Geocaching for Environmental Change
The second day featured the Hackathon’s signature activity: Geocaching for Change, an outdoor exploration challenge in the historic center of Novara. Guided by the facilitators’ instructions , international student teams followed GPS clues to identify real-world environmental issues — from energy waste and water management to transportation problems, urban biodiversity, and waste disposal.
Day 3 – Designing Solutions for Casa Bossi
On the final day, students worked intensively on developing proposals inspired by their geocaching findings and by the sustainability challenges presented in the Hackathon briefing materials. Using the “Casa Bossi – Sustainable Future Project” as a reference case , teams created solutions addressing energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable mobility, community engagement, and responsible cultural heritage management. Each team presented its proposal to a mixed jury of students, teachers, and partners. The presentations highlighted feasibility, creativity, environmental impact, and inclusive value. The event concluded with a recognition session celebrating all participants for their commitment, teamwork, and innovative thinking.
A Valuable Contribution to the DIFERAL MOOC
The Hackathon did more than raise environmental awareness — it generated authentic
learning materials. The ideas, photos, observations, and proposals produced by
students will be incorporated into the DIFERAL MOOC as case-based examples and
practical activities that other educators across Europe will be able to use in their
classrooms.
Through this collaborative process, the Hackathon showcased how experiential
learning, digital exploration, and inclusive teamwork can empower students to
understand sustainability not as theory, but as lived experience.
