As part of our commitment to SDG 13 Climate Action, the WP has co-sponsored Climathon Waikato (Waikato (climate-kic.org)). Climathon Waikato is an opportunity for Waikato citizen leaders to use their skills to advance climate solutions, rethink the way we live and create a future we're proud to pass on to the next generation.

At the heart of Climathon Waikato was an ideathon - where, from March 28th - April 3rd, teams of innovators worked with fellow changemakers to imagine, explore and develop innovative solutions to our shared climate challenges. For more information visit the climathon website or contact Emma Sinclair at emma.sinclair@impacthub.net  

The week-long event was opened by Hon James Shaw and finished with a Prize Giving Extravaganza. Throughout the week, participants got to work on ideating, validating and refining their respective projects, each relating to one or more of the five challenges. As we got to know the participants over the week, we were blown away by their enthusiasm and passion. Needless to say, we could not have supported the participants as well as we did without the valuable support of our experts, coaches and mentors. You can check out our highlights reel here

The Climathon is making ripples… from what we are hearing from our networks, the event has sparked conversation, curiosity and action around the region and beyond! We are thrilled to hear this, and wish to keep this going. If you can help at all, please find the post-event media kit here.  

What happens next? 

Behind the scenes, the Impact Hub are doing an extensive debrief, and mapping out the next phase of Climathon Waikato. The first thing you can expect - once we’ve completed the impact measurement, is the final Impact report for Climathon 2021-22. In the meantime, here are some quick-fire details:

·       60 registered participants
·       25-30 completed the full programme
·       10 teams pitched their ideas for climate action to an audience of 50 people - including local councillors, businesses, and policymakers 
·       The 5 winning teams received $6, 000 between them to advance their ideas
·       30 speakers, subject matter experts, coaches and mentors from across the Waikato, and beyond, lent their expertise throughout the weekend - helping the participants learn about everything from Design Thinking and validation, to investing, strategy and finance
Content across social media reached 19.6K people.
Some of the feedback received throughout the week included:

“I enjoyed every part of it, learned heaps, heard some inspired ideas, met new people, and made new connections”
"Sooooo tired but well worth it. Loved every second of the brainstorming. No one in my life loves brainstorming like I do so I never get to do it. BEST DAY EVER!" 
These were the winners: 

Grand winner 
Enviro story: Meena Sharma, Colleen Litchfield, Cherie Pascoe, Tracey Numanga, Nanise Ginnen and Honey Smith

Mentor: Camilla Carty-Melis (Enviroschools)

Elevator pitch: To have people engaged in environmental projects throughout the region, in a meaningful way that has measurable benefits for their wellbeing and the environment.

Innovation prize 
E-Easy: Harland Sinclair/ E-easy

Mentor: Nick Humphries

Elevator pitch: E-bike subscription service for (initially) young professionals and urban commuters

Community prize
Climate Commons: Sija Soman

Mentor: Adrienne Grant

Elevator pitch: There is a need for a focussed collaborative platform in order to scale up and expand regional climate action initiatives and to identify potential synergies among climate actors.

Youth prize 
Small Wins, Big Planet: Jumana Fouda and Jenni Scothern-King

Mentor: Stafford Hodgson

Elevator pitch: A celebration celebrating all the victories over climate change. We want others to be encouraged by these victories, big and small. The event attendees will leave with real-world examples of how change has been made and motivated to make change themselves.

Peoples' choice
Mode Choice May: Angela Strange, John Lawson, and Hadon Westerby:

Mentor: Phoebe Flexman

Elevator pitch: Championing the development of “Mode choice May” as a way to better understand emission reduction, highlight alternative modes of transport, foster behaviour change, and ultimately, reduce dependency on private vehicles.

With an  eye on the global timeline, Waikato Impact Hub  are hopeful for hosting an in-person Ideathon on 29th October 2022, building on the success of last week.