Human-Centred Design Lab

CICan National Skills for Success Hackathon focuses on collaboration, innovation

A group of smiling students giving thumbs up and peace signs.

Hackathon participants gather in the Human-Centred Design Lab at the Ottawa Campus.

Algonquin College students and alumni recently participated in the Colleges & Institutes Canada (CICan) National Skills for Success Student Hackathon, where multi-disciplinary teams collaborated to develop innovative solutions for a collective challenge. Held over March 22-23, 2025, the event brought together students and recent graduates from 16 post-secondary institutions across Canada to learn about the Skills for Success (SFS) Program, a Government of Canada initiative which provides training, resources and funding for Canadians to develop workplace skills to advance their careers. Students then explored design solutions for the SFS Online Tool – an interactive assessment which helps job seekers identify resume gaps, industry trends and upskilling opportunities at CICan member institutions.

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Algonquin College student wins international World Design Organization competition

An Algonquin College learner has won an international competition hosted by World Design Organization (WDO), earning admission to the 34th World Design Congress in London, UK. Laura Avila, a Level 02 student in the Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design program, partnered with three other students in North Macedonia, the United States and India to compete in the WDO design sprint under the theme Heritage in Motion: Defining the Future by Design.

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Algonquin College Applied Research project advances to the finals at the International ICT Innovative Services Awards

The Human-Centred Design Lab at Algonquin College’s Applied Research has been named one of 10 finalists at the InnoServe Awards for their project, Building Hurricane Resiliency in the Commonwealth of Dominica.

The InnoServe Awards is an annual ICT application competition held for university and college students that promotes academic-industry collaboration by integrating academic training and practical experience. The awards will be held on Nov. 4 in Taipei, Taiwan, with teams worldwide competing for a top prize of US$4,000 per team. Being named a finalist and the only Canadian team highlights the innovative and impactful work being done through the Human-Centred Design Lab.

Led by Algonquin College, the applied research project is being implemented in partnership with Dominica State College (DSC) and their team, with funding from Global Affairs Canada. The goal of the project is to increase economic opportunities for graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Dominica by focusing on climate-smart construction and carpentry skills for the green economy.

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