A group of students at the University of New Brunswick has found a way to tackle food insecurity while eliminating waste in Fredericton.
Team Hüngy won first place at the Boost 2024 Ideation Camp by proposing to connect vendors with a surplus of food to local community organizations who need it most.
The team demonstrated that Fredericton’s population is growing – putting pressure on resources and leaving more families in need. The team’s solution was to create a network between vendors with a surplus of food and people dealing with food insecurity. This approach would not only reduce food waste, but provide a way to secure Fredericton’s growing population.
“Ever since we came here two years ago, we have faced food insecurity firsthand, we’ve seen our friends face it, and so many more people” said Sarah Mandlekar, Chief Operating Officer of Hüngy. “We love building things that actually help someone, and Hüngy was our way to solve this problem, while giving back to the community that gave so much to us.”
The group’s long-term goal is to build healthier communities by ensuring that no food goes to waste and every person has enough to eat. The winning team also took home the prize for Best Video.
Elderly Assistive Scheduling Artificial Intelligence (EAS-AI) came in second place. The EAS-AI group proposed an AI-powered virtual assistant designed specifically for Fredericton seniors. The system would allow seniors to use simple voice commands to receive clear instructions on how to use Fredericton Transit through Google. This idea was an intuitive design to restore independence and foster community connection for seniors.
“Every year students come up with innovative ideas to practice civic innovation, solve smart city challenges, and drive economic development for the greater good of the community,” said Laurie Guthrie, Economic Developer/Civic Innovation Strategist at the City of Fredericton. “Every year we are inspired with their creativity and their desire to drive change.”
Boost Fredericton is a joint program that uses technology and partnerships to enable civic innovation and solve municipal challenges for the greater Fredericton community. This year, students were asked to create a tech-based solution related to population growth in the capital region. This year the program saw 38 students and eight teams from the University of New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Community College, and Ignite.