The first edition of HISTHACK, the historical hackathon of the Institute of National Remembrance is behind us.
The first edition of HISTHACK, the historical hackathon of the Institute of National Remembrance, organised as part of the Congress of National Remembrance, is behind us. Nearly 100 participants spent two days trying to prepare a complete historical education project using new technologies.
The programming marathon, organised by New Technology Division, was addressed to students and teachers from schools all over Poland – those interested in history and at the same time fascinated by new technologies. Its aim was not only to search for new educational methods, but also to survey how young people would like to learn about the past.
Let us remind that the competition was addressed to secondary school students and it
consisted of two stages. In the first stage, which took place before the Congress began, the task of the six-person teams composed of students and a supervisor was to develop a script concept for a historical-educational computer game related to the history of Poland between 1917 and 1990. Out of 75 submitted applications, 16 best teams were selected.
In the second stage, which was held on 13-14 April this year in Warsaw as part of the Congress of National Remembrance – the participants’ task was to develop a historical education project using new technologies. The competition was extremely fierce and, it should be emphasised, very closed. The competition included a history quiz, as well as a meeting with witnesses to history: Anna Kołakowska, the youngest political prisoner during martial law, and Stanisław Fudakowski, the organiser of the protest strike at the Gdańsk Shipyard after the introduction of martial law.
After the deadline for completing the works, the Jury composed of: Magdalena Hajduk
(Director of the New Technology Division of the Institute of National Remembrance), Adrianna Paradowska (Deputy Director of the IPN’s New Technology Division),
Wojciech Turek (the IPN’s New Technology Division), Sebastian
Górkiewicz (the IPN’s Information Technology Office), Barbara Giża (Samorządowe Centrum Doskonalenia Nauczycieli – Mazovian Self-Governing Centre of Teacher Training), Kamila Stachowiak (GovTech Centre Poland), Przemysław
Koncewicz (Creativity AR), Zbigniew Bujak (Central Technology House Polish Development Fund), Daniel Matwiejczuk (GovTech Centre Poland), Monika Trocka (GovTech Centre Poland) announced the results:
- 1st place:Tadeusz Kościuszko Technical School Complex in Leżajsk for their holistic approach to the solution and creating a playable version of the project entitled “Taśmy historii” (Tapes of History);
- 2nd place: General Józef Hauke-Bosak Information Technology School Complex in Kielce for developing a creative tool for teachers and educators “HISTQUEST”;
- 3rd place: Technical Secondary School No. 7 in the Stanisław Wysocki School Complex in Warsaw for the presentation of the project “Interaktywny świat historii” (Interactive World of History) enhancing immersive experiences in history teaching.
The prizes were awarded by Dr Karol Nawrocki, the President of the Institute of National Remembrance, and Adrianna Paradowska, the Deputy Director of the New Technology Division, who addressed words of appreciation to the young participants: “We are proud of you, because you are in fact the strength of this nation. You are the youngest, and all faith is in you. If you represent us, Poland, so beautifully throughout your lives, then we really have nothing to worry about. Congratulations to all of you”. The President of the Institute of National Remembrance recalled the words of Saint John Paul II, “remembering the past means commitment to the future,” addressing the participants in the following words “…you are the best proof that we can preserve the memory of Poland’s past thanks to books and archives, but also in the virtual space, with projects like the ones you have created”.
Once again, we would like to congratulate the winners and thank all 16 teams for participating in this unforgettable event.