MacChangers students present project solutions to local challenges within the Hamilton community
In early April, 85 students proposed collaborative solutions to complex challenges facing society.
Student projects
Real-life solutions developed by teams of interdisciplinary and community-engaged students.
Designated Cigarette and Vape Recycling Program – Poster – ArcGIS site
Bring Home Vape Disposal – Poster – ArcGIS site
Sponsor-A-Bird-Mural at Lincoln Alexander Hall – Poster
Fencing to Prevent Saplings from Deer Consumption – Poster – ArcGIS site
Design Solutions for the Arty Crowd – Poster – ArcGIS site
Community Engagement Certificate Program – Poster – ArcGIS site
Community Connections: A system for McMaster Students – Poster – ArcGIS site
Interactive City of Hamilton Passport – Poster – ArcGIS site
Addressing the McMaster Food Ecosystem – Poster – ArcGIS site
Project Late Night Chowdown – Poster – ArcGIS site
A Sustainable Food Ecosystems with McMaster’s Community Fridge – Poster – ArcGIS site
MacSnack Program – Poster
Using Paint to Increase Hamilton’s Surface Albedo – Poster
GRATCH: Low Impact Solution for Parking Lots – Poster – ArcGIS site
Cooling Stations to Combat the Urban Heat Island Effect – Poster – ArcGIS site
In-Ground LED Lights for Crosswalks – Poster – ArcGIS site
Enhancing Safety at Busy Intersections – Poster – ArcGIS site
Fast Retracting Bollards for Vulnerable Road Users – Poster – ArcGIS site
Accessible Study Spaces for Students with ADHD – Poster
Mapping the Journey to an Accessible McMaster – Poster – ArcGIS site
Accessible Lighting on Campus – Poster – ArcGIS site
EduConnect: Student Self-Advocacy Accessibility Platform – Poster
MacMinds: A Learning Portal for Students with ADHD – Poster – ArcGIS site
McMaster Learning, Education, Advocacy and Resources Network – Poster
Accessible Mobile Units – The Future of Safe Consumption Sites – Poster – ArcGIS site
Dementia Care and AI: A mobile app for pre-existing resources – Poster – ArcGIS site
Dementia: PocketCare: Navigating government run services – Poster – ArcGIS site
Smart Lighting Systems for Enhanced Dementia Support – Poster
Supporting Caregivers: An App Based Approach – Poster – ArcGIS site
Benches for Dementia Safety – Poster – ArcGIS site
VR Therapy for Self Harm – Poster
ResilienceSTART: Empowering Parents to Prevent Self Harm – Poster – ArcGIS site
EmpowerEd: Uplifting Adolescent Mental Health – Poster
Read the report or watch the team videos below:
- C1 – Gamification: A Fun Way of Sharing and Preserving the Bruce Trail
- C2 – Book a Date with Mother Nature!
- C3 – BTC Information Campaign
- C4 – ECO PAL: A Tiered Solution to Improve Accessibility within the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System
- C5 – City of Hamilton App – Parks Extension: Encouraging Proper Park Etiquette
- C7 – Reducing Levels of Pollution in Hamilton Harbour Through the Use of Bioremediation
- C8 – Reducing Conflict on Multi-Use Trails Through Accessible Information
- C9 – Promoting Trail Education and Etiquette Through Accessible Advertising
- C10 – EcoLight: Achieving Sustainability in Fifth Point while Ensuring Current Users Have Access to the Space and Enjoy their time During their Stay
Read the report or view team videos below:
- E1 – Connecting Famers to Customers
- E2 – Buy-namic: A Digital Solution for COVID-19 Business Burnout
- E3 – FEED (Farmers Education, Enrichment and (crop) Diversification) Program
- E4 – Prioritizing the Elderly: Increasing the Convenience of Car Side Pick Up
- E5 – Hamilton Farmers’ Marketplace: Improving Virtual Accessibility to the Hamilton Farmers’ Market for Consumers of Locally Farmed Goods
- E6 – Fresh Food Farmers Market: Implementing Online Sales Platform for Local Farms
- E7 – Handcrafted Hamilton: Themed Gift Baskets from local Hamilton Handicraft Small Businesses Promoting Consumers to Shop Local
- E8 – Designing a Communication System for Centralizing and Delivering Health Protocol Information to Small Business Owners on Barton Street
- E9 – BIA Takeout Campaign: Restaurant and Hospitals Sponsorship
Read the report or view team videos below
- I2 – Smart Shelter: Protection from Theft and Weather
- I3 – Bus Station Heater Innovation and its Response to the Hamilton Community Happiness Index
- I4 – Bottlenecked Bikes: Rethinking Cyclist Safety on York Road, Hamilton
- I5 – Developing an Accessible Real-Time Winter Google Maps
- I6 – Schedulize: A Software for Safety, Scheduling, and Supporting Small Businesses during COVID-19
- I7 – Riding the Wave: A Revolution in Safer Micro-Mobility and Active Transit Infrastructure
- I10 – Battered to Beautiful: Providing Arts Students Opportunities to Beautify Local Construction Zones
Read the report or view team videos below:
- H2 – WellHub: The Student Wellness Centre Nexus
- H3 – A Plastic Barrier to Improve Physical Activity/Socializing during COVID-19 in Senior Retirement Homes
- H4 – Stay Home, Stay Fit Bundle: The COVID-19 at Home Senior Fitness Program
- H5 – Automated Public Washrooms: Safer For your Peace of Mind
- H6 – Pop-Up Hamilton Public Toilet: Improving the Accessibility of Public Washrooms in Hamilton
- H7 – MacUVC: Improving the Sanitization and Accessibility of Public Bathrooms for the Hamilton Community
- H8 – Tribubble: Addressing Isolation & Group Physical Activity during COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Homes
- H10 – Mental Health at Mac Day
- H11 – Sanitracker: Real-Time Updating Map of Publicly Accessible Sanitation Facilities
Our program foundation
The MacChangers Program is rooted in experiential learning and based on research methodology and inquiry through the principles of Design Thinking, The Lean Startup, The Design Sprint, Project Management, and Systems Thinking.
During the Fall term, teams work together to identify and define the problem they want to solve and the specific users they want to help. The focus of your work will be choosing the right problem to solve. Students will also meet with our community partners at our Fall Community event.
During the Winter term, teams work together to develop a potential solution to the problem you identified. The focus of your work will be testing the feasibility of your solution. Students will also meet with community partners at our Winter Community event.
