Clean and Green
Protect, respect, and conserve the environment.
Collaborate, innovate, change.
MacChangers pairs interdisciplinary teams to design innovative solutions for challenges facing the Hamilton community.
MacChangers is a co-curricular experiential learning program, open to students from all faculties.
Applications for the 2024-2025 year are now open!
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How does MacChangers work?
MacChangers is a year-long program where interdisciplinary teams apply design thinking to tackle real challenges facing the Hamilton community. MacChangers students are placed in interdisciplinary teams and assigned a community challenge to tackle. Throughout the year, students participate in weekly workshops where they develop their solution idea through the process of design thinking. With the guidance from our mentors and community members, teams work collaboratively to develop and refine their proposals, which they present to an audience at our final showcase in March. MacChangers offers experiential learning opportunities that empower students to address complex global and local challenges, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Our Future Hamilton vision.
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Learn more about Clean and Green (Opens in new window)
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Communities, Arts, and Culture
Learn more about Communities, Arts, and Culture (Opens in new window)Support the diversity and richness of connections within our community.
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Built Environment and Infrastructure
Learn more about Built Environment and Infrastructure (Opens in new window)Create solutions to improve physical structure and systems in Hamilton.
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Healthy and Safe Cities
Learn more about Healthy and Safe Cities (Opens in new window)Prioritize the well-being and security of Hamilton residents.
Past MacChangers Projects
Our teams of interdisciplinary students have proposed dynamic solutions to complex challenges.
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Develop skills desired by employers
Improve your communication, teamwork, project management, entrepreneurship, leadership and problem-solving skills in an experiential learning environment.
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Build connections
Work closely with experts in the McMaster and Hamilton communities as you build your professional network.
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Make a difference
Propose innovative solutions to community stakeholders that could result in positive change in our community.
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“MacChangers has been more than an astounding experience for us, it is a journey filled with personal development, hands-on learning, methodologies to tackle the issues of today, and most importantly a platform for us to define our future adventures.”
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“MacChangers was an opportunity to work with a strong, diverse team who taught me about thinking differently to solve problems. More than that, it was an opportunity to see just how involved and committed the McMaster and Hamilton community are in supporting student growth and success.”
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“My favourite part of MacChangers was all of the mentorship we received from Student Partners and MacChangers faculty and the relationships they helped us build with members of the community to really build effective change.”
MacChangers is an official McMaster program open to all students.
Students enrolled in MacChangers are eligible for a complimentary elective credit by enrolling in ENGINEER 3CX3. More information can be found on the experiential learning page.
Students are expected to attend in-person sessions on Wednesday evenings from 18:30-19:30. It is expected that students commit an average of 3 hours each week to the program from October to March.
Yes! Please ensure that you and your friend(s) each fill out an application form. Indicate the first and last names of those you wish to work with on the application form.
Attend an information session:
Wednesday, September 11th: 10:00-11:00am @ MUSC 302
Friday, September 13th: 10:00-11:00am @ MUSC 303
Monday, September 16th: 10:00-11:00am @ MUSC 302
Feel free to reach out to changers@mcmaster.ca if you have any questions.
Applications for the 2024-2025 year close on September 17th.