On September 2, 3, and 4, 150 first-year students from the Grande Ecole Program at the Bordeaux-Talence campus took part in a back-to-school hackathon.
For this new academic year for PGE 1A students, a team of teachers, technical staff, and 2A students organized a three-half-day back-to-school hackathon, bringing new students together to tackle technical and creative challenges. "Teaching methods are evolving, and so is the education system," explains Hugo Ruelle-Carpentier, a 2A student. " Changing the format of the start of the academic year to a more fun activity was a logical step. The aim was to captivate the 1A students with industry-related activities and to do so in collaboration with teachers, staff, and students to get the best out of everyone's vision."
Three challenges
Divided into 12 groups, the participants first explored the school premises, discovering their future working environment, the various platforms, and the staff working on campus.
They were then given three challenges. The first was to redesign a catapult arm. After working in groups to find solutions, the first-year students provided sketches of their proposals to the second-year students in charge of creating CAD models and 3D printing at the polymer Fab Lab. A throwing competition was then organized in the workshops to test the performance of the various designs proposed.
At the same time, the students dismantled and analyzed the various components of a jack. In particular, they looked at the materials used, the manufacturing processes available on campus, and the issue of recycling at the end of the product's life. This activity raised the future engineers' awareness of environmental issues and the importance of eco-design.
A poster competition on two themes: "The School—the Bordeaux campus" and "Engineering professions: different facets" concluded the hackathon. Students were able to express their creativity and share their vision of their future academic and professional careers.
Discover their campus and learn about the challenges of engineering
This hackathon was a great opportunity for new students to discover their campus and learn about the challenges of engineering, while strengthening team spirit and cohesion within this new class.
