The GENIUS Marathon Challenges Students to Develop Solutions for the Future of Cities
Students in the technical program in Business Administration at the Center for Professional Education (CEDUP) in Timbó, Santa Catarina, participated in the GENIUS Marathon held at Sapiens Parque in Florianópolis. The event promoted a day of innovation, creativity, and collaborative development of proposals focused on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 of the United Nations (UN), which aims to make cities and communities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The initiative was part of InPETU GENIUS, a program of the Sapiens Parque Connect project aimed at fostering leadership, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship among children and adolescents.
The program began with a welcome session led by César Panisson, coordinator of the Office for the Promotion of Innovation and GENIUS within the Sapiens Parque Connect project. During the session, the students learned about Sapiens Parque, its mission, and an overview of the companies, initiatives, and projects carried out there. Next, the participants visited the InPETU hub, where they learned about its history, areas of focus, and planned future spaces.
Afterward, participants were introduced to the InPETU GENIUS methodology and the theme proposed for this edition, focused on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. Organized into teams, the students identified problems and opportunities for improvement related to topics such as urban mobility, accessibility, safety, the use of public spaces, waste management, and the well-being of the population.
To structure their contributions, the groups used the Problem and Solution Canvas, a tool that helped them analyze the identified scenarios and develop alternatives to the issues raised. They then moved on to the prototyping stage, using the Atto Kit to transform their concepts into physical models.
The program concluded with a round of pitches led by Clarissa Flôr and Paulo Roberto, members of the Sapiens Parque Connect project. In presentations lasting up to two minutes, the students shared their proposals with a panel of judges, who asked questions, offered feedback, and provided suggestions for improvement to each team.
At the end of the marathon, the three proposals that performed best in terms of creativity, applicability, and alignment with the proposed challenge were recognized.
For Professor André de Lima, from the technical program in Business Administration at CEDUP in Timbó, the experience provides students with a new way of viewing problems and opportunities.
“Participating in an activity like this broadens students’ perspectives and encourages the development of innovative ideas. It’s an experience that encourages creative thinking and opens up new possibilities for these young people’s professional futures,” he noted.
John Trisotto, executive advisor at CEDUP in Timbó, also emphasized the importance of the initiative.
“The environment inspires students to think differently, break away from the norm, and explore new perspectives. In addition to technical learning, they develop skills that contribute to their personal and professional growth,” he said.
The GENIUS Marathon underscores the importance of creating spaces where young people can experiment, test ideas, and develop solutions in a practical and collaborative way. The initiative will continue with new editions and activities aimed at training students from different educational institutions.
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