Application of the Method 4>17 in identifying the challenges of HackB Campus Sant Joan de Déu 2025

On February 12, 13 and 14, 2025, the Sant Joan de Déu Teaching Campus hosted a new edition of HackB , an educational and social hackathon that brought together over 300 participants, mainly 4th-year nursing students from the campus and young people from other educational backgrounds and institutions. The aim of the event is clear: to promote the co-creation of innovative solutions to real-world problems in our environment through participatory methodologies, such as Method 4>17.

This year, the proposed challenges were:

Unwanted loneliness amoung young people, proposed by Obra Social Sant Joan de Déu.

Misinformation in emergency situations, presented by the Red Cross.

Each participant was assigned to one of the two challenges and, from there, 20 working teams were formed -10 for each challenge- composed of individuals with diverse profiles. This mix of experiences and knowledge was key to enriching problem-solving perspectives and fostering a collaborative learning environment.

The HackB program was structured over three intensive days. On the first day, the teams began exploring their chosen challenge using Method 4> 17, a tool that allowed them to analyze the root causes of the problem and organize collective thinking. This methodology served as a guide to develop more accurate and context-sensitive solutions. The following two days were dedicated entirely to designing and developing solution proposals, always with the support of a team of mentors who were experts in different disciplines such as social innovation, communication, strategy, and service design. These professionals not only provided technical guidance, but also played a key role as facilitators of the teams’ creative process.

On the last day of the hackathon, each group verbally presented their proposal to their own classroom group. From there, two finalist teams were chosen per challenge, which then presented their solutions to an expert jury. This jury assessed the proposals and selected one winning solution per challenge, taking into account criteria such as feasibility, creativity and the potential impact of the solution.

>At Coboi Lab, we have accompanied the design process of the HackB from the beginning, collaborating with the technical team of the Teaching Campus in the conceptualization of the format, the definition of the challenges and the organization of the selection process of the winners. In addition, we have been responsible for training the mentors in the use of Method 417, providing support and Q&A sessions before and during the hackathon to ensure an optimal and cohesive application of the methodology. This support was essential to ensure a rich and meaningful learning experience for all participants.

With this edition, HackB consolidates itself as an inspiring example of educational innovation, where intergenerational collaboration, critical thinking and a systemic perspective are put at the service of social transformation.

You can find more details about the project on the website of the Sant Joan de Déu Teaching Campus , or recover the balance of the previous edition in this entry on our blog.