RBC: The Next Great Innovator 2020 Hackathon Experience
Surprisingly, diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) workplaces is a prevalent issue, even in 2020. Even though we have come a long way from 1942, where women were first admitted to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, it took 74 years to hit a milestone. According to StatsCan, in 2016, more women graduated with STEM degrees than ever before. Seven decades was too long of a wait, but progress must be counted as progress. Today, STEM fields are still a male-dominated area, which only implies that there is much more to be done.
Thankfully, RBC is doing its part in helping reduce the gender gap in STEM fields by encouraging female youth to explore and innovate in technology fields at an early stage. Last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the RBC Hack the Hack program, and also compete in the NGI hackathon! From many networking opportunities, to a 7-hour grind and a very cute gift basket, this experience was truly a one to remember.
Hack The Hack Program
The community manager at Early Talent RBC, Naomi Ing, said “NGI [hackathon] has been going on for a couple of years, and we saw a gap of female talent in the technology space. Oftentimes hackathons can be very intimidating, so RBC wanted to break that ice — and showcase how the hackathon is to learn and is your first step”.
That’s how the Hack the Hack program came to be. The program targeted female students from grade 8 to grade 10, and highlighted its safe learning environment and also the importance of gaining exposure to skills. As the name implies, the Hack the Hack program guided students, on how to “hack” a hackathon.
Just as a brief overview, the Hack the Hack sessions were held once weekly and lasted for about a month. As the program’s goal was to prepare youth for a hackathon, each session was structured in the form of a hack. With that being said, the first session focused on idea development, and from there, the sessions continued to introducing lean canvases, prototyping and ending off with a session on how to pitch.
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In a way, the program was like a month-long hackathon, just without the additional pressure of time and a prize for all (loved the gift basket — the scrunchie is so cute!) The sessions were structured in a way where a short content presentation took place in the beginning, a group activity followed and a concluding group discussion where students presented some of their work. After each session, we were also sent fun activities where we could practise and review some skills we have learnt.
Hack The Hack Experience
In the span of only 4 weeks, I have learned a multitude of skills that I’m excited to apply in future hackathons! I have learnt how to properly storyboard an idea by timeboxing and tracking progress, and how to form an effective lean canvas to quickly map out the key features of the proposition. Adding on, I learnt how to prepare for the technical aspect by creating prototypes, and how to do a business pitch. Personally, my favourite session was definitely the pitch craft workshop! During the group activity, the team and I had so much fun coming up with the story, and presenting it in front of the team. (honestly, one of my highlights of the month)
However, the best part was not being able to learn and deploy all these cool skills but to see my peers grow substantially— it was a sign that RBC’s initiative was working. In the first session, everyone was a bit timid and group discussions were mainly guided by session leaders. But later on, the girls had their cameras and mics on, and everyone was participating and sharing their ideas. The girls became more confident in their ability to prepare and participate in a hackathon, and their progress was clearly visible.
NGI Hackathon
The Hack the Hack sessions all lead up to the NGI’s women in tech edition hackathon, where students put their skills to use and competed in an actual hackathon. The hackathon lasted from 9 AM to 4 PM, and by far, it was definitely one of the shortest hackathons I competed in. I was placed into team #5, and worked with 4 other girls in the GTA region. We were all equally interested and hyped about the challenge! Through 7 hours of non-stop grind, we did have our mini stretches and snack breaks. In the end, we were successfully able to build a Figma prototype of the platform we were recommending, along with a clear lean canvas and an eye-catching slideshow.
While reflecting on my experience, my favourite part was presenting with the group. We’ve only rehearsed the slideshow about three times, but with all the anticipation build-up, it was perfect. We kept building off of each other’s energy and provided each other with valuable feedback.
We were all so amazed at how each one of us had a different speaking tone — one of us took an energetic and upbeat approach whereas another took a calmer and enunciated way— it made us ponder and question our different skillsets (in a good way of course! a lot of compliments were exchanged). A group of 4 random teenagers came together with different experiences, talents, backgrounds, and formed a team that created an amazing project and pitch. That’s some cool beans.
During the hackathon, mini drop-by sessions were available for students to learn some coding skills and pitching techniques. There were many mentors available to help groups during the hack, and a big shout out to them! From instantaneous replies to positive messages to keep on going, they were fueling teams to work their hardest and enjoy the experience.
After presentations, students were also able to join networking sessions where we got to know more about each other and some of RBC’s work. After a couple of hours, the RBC x NGI hackathon showcase began, and winners were announced. Their pitches were presented live stream, and I was amazed at how many different approaches were taken to address the challenge.
Post Hackathon
After the Hack, I reached out to a couple of mentors and the CEO of KidsCodeJeunesse! I had a really meaningful conversation with Naomi Ing, a session leader and mentor at the Hack, and also the Community Manager at Early Talent. Apart from the awkward technical lags along the way, we had a meaningful conversation about how RBC is targetting younger female demographics, and giving them the opportunity to explore new STEM spaces. Especially with the stigma about “how it is only men going into technological fields”, she mentioned how it’s important to show young girls that there are many opportunities just like the RBC x NGI hackathon, where they can grow their skills in a safe and positive environment.
Adding on, I hopped on a short call with Lauren Mark, Senior Manager of Academic relations. We discussed more about the work behind pulling off such a successful event, and RBC’s youth initiatives. I wanted to personally say thank you. Thanks for being so energetic and enthusiastic in the Hack sessions and on the NGI day. Of course, we can’t forget about Eddie!
Last but not least, I had the pleasure of connecting with Kate Arthur, CEO of KidsCodeJeunesse. KCJ is a Canadian non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing every child in Canada with the opportunity to learn computational thinking and to code. We discussed the importance of diversifying STEM workplaces as a multitude of skillsets can be brought into the field of innovation. One key takeaway from our meeting was that there is no restriction to innovate. As long as one has the initiative, will, and network, anything is possible. The highlight of our meeting was the conversation in french! (Merci pour m’encourager de pratiquer la langue dehors l’école, c’est un de mes plusieurs buts pour 2021!)
To conclude, the Hack the Hack program and NGI hackathon left me even more inspired and motivated to continue my work in technology and innovation. I made many valuable connections in these few weeks, and as I said before, I am very grateful. All in all, I cannot wait to continue working with RBC in the future.
Thanks for reading —I’m a 15-year-old high school student researching biotech applications and learning more about synthetic biology! If you enjoyed my article, here’s my LinkedIn and Monthly newsletter. Looking forward to connecting!
