First-ever Hackathon and Innovation Awards at Hofstra

College and high-school students joined forces to develop future solutions for current community issues at the first-ever Policy Hackathon and Innovation Awards presented by the Office of the Nassau County Comptroller and Hofstra University.

The event was held at the Hofstra University IdeaHub and Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman was present to challenge the next generation’s community leaders and congratulate the current regime of leaders that have made significant contributions to Nassau County.

Public policy students from Hofstra University, including the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, led teams of guest high school students from both Hempstead and Baldwin high schools to develop solutions to the urgent policy question: “In light of Nassau’s changing demographics, how can policymakers ensure Nassau County’s economy remains competitive over the next decade?”

The groups of high school students led by the government and business majors developed pitch presentations with public policy solutions to address many issues highlighted in the Comptroller’s Office Policy and Research Unit’s Report.

The students presented their proposals to a panel of five judges, including Dr. Steve Lindo of SpringBoard Incubators, Robert Suarez of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Senior Assistant Dean for the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University Deborah Tinnierello, Kyle Strober of Association for a Better Long Island, and Coralie Saint-Louis of NextLI.

“The Policy Hackathon and Innovation Awards was designed to not only celebrate the achievements of many within our community who have promoted innovation, but to foster the development of innovative ideas from future leaders,” said Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman. “The Hofstra IdeaHub is the ideal location to host an event focused on solutions that will help support the next generation in Nassau as well as our local economy.”

Schnirman added how important it was that students proposed their own solutions to regional problems impacting the next generation directly to stakeholders working to make an impact and support the future of the county’s economy and workforce.

“The Policy Hackathon and Innovation Awards is a great exercise for students who are interested in creating new public policies, and I thank the Nassau County Comptroller’s office for their collaboration and Bethpage Federal Credit Union for sponsoring this event,” said Stacey Sikes, Executive Dean of Entrepreneurship and Business Development at the Hofstra University Center for Entrepreneurship.

The event was not just held for students, as five Innovation Awards were presented to recognize several significant contributions to Nassau County. The Town of North Hempstead was recognized for its transparency initiatives and “trailblazing 3-1-1 service”. The Urban League of Long Island was cited for its work to ensure economic equity. The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island was also recognized for its work related to the upcoming 2020 Census. Nassau BOCES was honored for its “innovative shared services” work and programs for learners of all ages, and lastly, NextLI was honored for its recent policy work to help support the next generation on Long Island.

“The Policy Hackathon bridges academic study and policy practice well by encouraging students to develop proposals based on group research and analysis. Innovative workshops like this one are essential professional preparation in the twenty-first century for students who seek to pursue careers in policy making,” said Dr. Meena Bose, Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs at the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs.

“This event was a great opportunity to see young people presenting solutions to an audience filled with key stakeholders within our community,” Schnirman said. “Events like this bridge the gap between the present and future, and it shows there is much to look forward to in Nassau County in the years to come.”