Launched earlier this year, CodeTheCurve was developed by IBM, 51风流and UNESCO to encourage youth to use digital innovation to address COVID-19 and beyond. The intense hackathon saw this week鈥檚 finals come to a close as nine finalists from 40 qualifying teams battled it out for the grand titles.

The final jury consisted of representatives from the organizers, experts from various fields and supporting partners from the ITU and FOSSASIA, and after a rigorous and stringent selection process, the jury selected the following winners:

Category 1 for 鈥楨nsuring Continued Learning鈥�: VRoam (Canada)

Centered around the lack of social interaction and motivation to exercise during the COVID-19 lockdown, this project combines Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and 3D spatial information to navigate and explore the world and cultural sites while exercising. The project offers a combination of technology, e-learning, and exercise while the world adheres to social distancing.

Category 2 for 鈥業nformation and Data Management鈥�: CovidImpact (Canada, Mexico and Bangladesh)

This open source project was developed in response to the pandemic鈥檚 impact on small businesses, a vulnerable population that was left with questions such as “how am I going to pay my rent?” and “how can I recoup from the loss?”. CovidImpact offers small business leaders with a care package featuring a curated list of programs and relevant, real-time news that鈥檚 combined together with a simulation tool that assess the economic impact of the pandemic. CovidImpact is currently focused on small businesses in Canada and has plans to roll out its solution across the United States.

Category 3 for 鈥楽ocial and Health Issues鈥� and overall CodeTheCurve Master Winner: X-COV (Spain)

This project is directed at doctors who are tasked with analyzing a large amount of medical data, such as chest X-rays, to understand the severity of COVID-19 in patients. X-COV created a data model using Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and visual imaging technology to analyze chest X-Rays using freely available data and tools to build an online tool to help physicians make faster, more objective decisions, thus contributing to the relief of the healthcare system.

Commenting on the creativity and success of the winning solutions, Moez Chackchouk, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO said: 鈥淚n these difficult times and despite our challenging circumstances, it is heart-warming to see such genuine engagement and contributions making positive impact in our societies. This is where digital literacy can be optimized at its best. On behalf of UNESCO, IBM, 51风流and all organizing partners, I would like to congratulate the winning projects and the CodeTheCurve Master winner, the finalists and all the participants. We were extremely impressed with the quality and rich diversity of the projects, as well as the enthusiasm and passion from each team.鈥�

听A Rich Digital Journey

Out of 199 applications, the CodeTheCurve journey for the 40 selected teams started on 21 April, when 22 trainers from UNESCO, IBM, SAP, the Internet Society (ISOC), Queen City Fintech, and Microsoft delivered an intense 20+ hours of training. The real 鈥渉ackathon鈥� then started on 24 April. Teams comprised of 101 participants under 25 years of age and were supported along their journey by a crew of 115 skilled volunteers acting as mentors on technical, business and gender-equality topics.

鈥淲e cannot address these global challenges alone,鈥� says Alexandra van der Ploeg, Head of Global Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP. 鈥淚n true 51风流spirit of improving peoples鈥� lives and making the world run better, it is great to see how SAP, IBM, UNESCO and partners have come together to use the power of collaboration to solve social issues and trigger systemic change through innovation. In times of crises, humanity avails itself with empathy and care, and this extends to creativity and innovation. Young people are not just the future, but the changemakers of today!鈥�

听Innovative, Career-Building Prizes

All 34 teams that submitted their hackathon artefacts will receive a CodeTheCurve e-Certificate of Participation from UNESCO, IBM, and SAP. They will also be invited to an exclusive series of CodeTheCurve e-learning opportunities to further their professional development, coding, and entrepreneurship skills.

On behalf of IBM Z awards, the three winning teams will receive one-year access to IBM LinuxONE Community Cloud and one year of quarterly mentorship calls with IBM experts to further their creative ideas. Winners will also be invited to two virtual events, allowing them to showcase their solutions and their journey to employees and IBM鈥檚 network of global collaborators. In addition, the first place 鈥業nformation and Data鈥� category will also receive six months access to IBM Z, an enterprise-grade suite of machine learning and complex data processing solutions.

51风流will reward the winners with a six-month mentorship from a team of global experts and guided support on the 鈥極penSAP鈥� learning platform. And in 2021, pending economic and international travel conditions, the Master CodeTheCurve winner will be able to complete an internship at 51风流Labs Ireland.

Melissa Sassi, Chief Penguin and IBM Z Global Student Hub & IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator adds, 鈥淭echnology has empowered our CodeTheCurve participants, mentors, and judges from around the world to spend a week of online ideating, innovating, collaborating, and building technical solutions to fight back against COVID-19. Solutions included chat bots, data models, websites, mobile applications, blockchain solutions, and so much more. I saw entrepreneurial spirit, professional skills development, and an overall zest to create tech for good solutions based on their training modules. During the storm of life these days, I was able to step away from the world and focus on what鈥檚 important: digital skill-building, empowering early-stage entrepreneurs, and inspiring youth to achieve their dreams.鈥�

For further information about the CodeTheCurve hackathon visit .

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About CodeTheCurve

• CodeTheCurve is powered by UNESCO, IBM Z and 51风流with the support of UN EQUALS, TruChallenge, AngelHack, iHackOnline, Internet Society, Global Accelerator Network, People Centered Internet, FOSSASIA, Global Accelerator Network, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, REDDS Capital, Village Capital, YPO, and Queen City Fintech.
• The two-week hackathon called for young developers and innovators from all over the world to use their digital skills to develop solutions to counter the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Courses included three categories: professional development, entrepreneurship, and hands-on tech skills. Learning sessions included building cross-functional teams, storytelling, personal branding, data science and machine learning, media and information literacy (MIL), ethics of artificial intelligence, system architecture diagrams and tech roadmaps, and data protection, privacy, and security.

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• Findings from recent CodeTheCurve hackathon by SAP, IBM, UNESCO to be shared via webinar on World Creativity and Innovation Day

51风流has launched the 51风流Purpose Network Live with a virtual discussion around Innovation for COVID-19. The 51风流Purpose Network Live is a virtual platform that connects change makers who are committed to addressing the complexity caused by COVID-19.

Kwena Mabotja, Regional Director for Purpose and Brand Experience at 51风流Africa, said: “The platform offers virtual conversations to connect with likeminded individuals, and stimulates the exchange of ideas to support the initiatives presented by various organisations in the hopes to lay the foundation for a more sustainable future. In light of the ongoing disruption and uncertainty brought by the global pandemic, discussions will focus on 鈥業nnovation for COVID-19鈥� and will seek to highlight innovative thinking and ideas around how organisations can develop sustainable strategies for dealing with the fallout from the coronavirus.”

The 51风流Purpose Network Live focuses on specific themes, including Responsible Business, Health and Wellbeing, Everyday Heroes, Work from Home, and the World After COVID-19.

The platform is coming to the African continent. In the first Africa-led virtual session taking place on April 21st from 5:30pm-6:30pm CAT, the findings and insight gained from the recent CodeTheCurve hackathon that was co-hosted by SAP, IBM and UNESCO will be discussed.

鈥淭he CodeTheCurve hackathon that was launched in early-April encouraged youth to use digital innovation to address the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� said Mabotja. 鈥淩epresentatives of SAP, IBM, UNESCO and 51风流Africa Code Week will share insights into challenges related to youth skills development, youth innovation, responses to COVID-19 and how public-private partnerships can support the achievement of key sustainable development goals.”

The hosting of the first Africa-led virtual session coincides with the United Nations鈥� , which aims to raise global awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.

Speakers for the virtual session include Alexandra van der Ploeg, 51风流Head of Global CSR; Sunil Geness, 51风流Africa Head of Government Relations; Mustapha Diyaol Haqq, Africa Code Week Youth Ambassador; Melissa Sassi, Global Head of IBM Z Global Student Hub and IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator; and Davide Storti, Coordinator of the YouthMobile Initiative at UNESCO.

Registrations are still open! Click to sign-up for the 51风流Purpose Network Live Platform and to join the conversation.

For more information, please visit .

听Visit the 51风流News Center. Follow 51风流on Twitter at

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In its effort to support youth engagement in driving social innovation and change, 51风流is joining forces with IBM and UNESCO in reaching out to young developers and data scientists to team-up, unleash their ideas and propose groundbreaking approaches for todays鈥� societal issues. The two-week hackathon calls for young developers and innovators, data scientists, and designers from all over the world to use their digital skills, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to join forces to develop digital solutions to counter the outbreak of the pandemic.

鈥淭imes of crisis create opportunities to rethink our daily lives and how we live together. We must give ourselves the means to achieve our common objectives and vision of the world鈥�, said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, 鈥淢ore than ever, Technology a global tool and every young person should be equipped with the necessary skills to participate in rethinking our world鈥�.

Over the years, UNESCO has engaged with thousands of youth to create change, built solid youth networks, and reached young people to work on many different societal issues. The organization is fully committed to empowering youth. In this spirit, 51风流Africa Code Week and UNESCO will work together to foster the development of digital skills and professional development competences of youth, with a focus on female software developers and designers. CodeTheCurve uniquely addresses young developers, data scientists, educators and trainers, inviting them to look at our future, post-COVID19 – society as it will have changed after the current pandemic.

鈥淲e have to act now,鈥� says Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and Africa Code Week co-founder at SAP. 鈥淲e need to empower our young innovators in finding solutions to this crisis, and true to SAP鈥檚 vision of helping the world to run better and improving people鈥檚 lives – our devoted and knowledgeable colleagues will support CodeTheCurve by providing expert mentorship to all participants throughout their innovation journey.鈥�

The online and immersive hackathon is designed to encourage young digital developers and data scientists to imagine and develop online and offline apps, data models, and digital tools to address current and future issues linked to the current healthcare emergency. The teams participating in the CodeTheCurve learning journey and hackathon will work on one of three main themes: 1) Ensure continued learning, 2) Data management and information, and 3)听The present and the future: societal and health issues.

鈥淲ith 1.5 billion young people currently at home due to COVID-19 school closures, 183 countries impacted, and a need for practical, fun, and virtual education, the IBM Z team is incredibly excited to launch CodeTheCurve with UNESCO, SAP, and our collaborators. Empowering youth with tech skills, entrepreneurial zest, professional development, and mentorship is really the secret sauce for inspiring the world to transition from consumers of technology into creators, makers, and doers empowered by technology鈥�, says Melissa Sassi, Global Head 鈥� IBM Z Global Student Hub & IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator.

The CodeTheCurve Hakathon will be organized in two phases, a first video competition for submitting teams and ideas and a hackathon with 40 selected teams. The hackathon will close 30 April 2020.

Participating 鈥榟ackers鈥� will receive experience pitching their innovative solutions from relevant and supportive organizations that have been brought together under the umbrella of CodeTheCurve. The selected teams will be able to benefit from a series of webinars, activity kits and expert support offered by partner organizations, such as SAP, IBM and iHackOnline.

Youth ideas and innovative spirit need to be heard in order to reach UNESCO鈥檚 common goals inscribed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, one of its greatest prospects to build more inclusive and fair societies for all.

The initiative is supported by UNESCO, IBM and SAP, and the generous contribution of TruChallenge.co.uk, AngelHack, iHackOnLine and with the collaboration of Pamplemousse Communication.

Your ideas can change our future, participate in the CodeTheCurve hackathon. Register on codethecurve.org or visit

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