BrainBridge Idea-athon: Innovating Student Well-Being at GT
Can you combine your expertise with students from entirely different majors to improve life at Georgia Tech?
The Challenge of Collaboration
Some of the most significant scientific and societal breakthroughs happen when diverse minds come together. But collaborating across different academic backgrounds comes with a major hurdle: language. How often have you sat in a group, listening to someone use a term specific to their major, and found yourself just smiling and nodding? Communication breakdowns hold great ideas back. We are trying to solve that. Our team is developing BrainBridge, an AI tool designed to detect field-specific jargon and translate it seamlessly for teammates from different academic backgrounds. To build an AI that understands how diverse teams collaborate, we need your help—and your conversations.
The Task
Your challenge is to design an innovative, actionable initiative that supports student well-being at Georgia Tech. The catch? Your final product cannot just come from one perspective. It must actively integrate the knowledge, skills, and background of all three distinct majors represented on your assigned team.
Note: Because this event directly supports the development of the BrainBridge AI tool, all participants must be comfortable having their team conversations recorded during the working weekend.
The Prizes
We know that bridging the gap between different academic backgrounds takes serious effort, and we want to reward the groups that do it best. To recognize your hard work, we are offering cash prizes for the top initiatives. Because this is a true collaborative effort, the prize amounts below go to every individual member of the winning three-person teams.
1st Place: $500 per team member
2nd Place: $250 per team member
3rd Place: $100 per team member
Judging Criteria
Your team's final product will be evaluated on the following:
Practicality: Can this actually be implemented at GT? How much will it cost?
Creativity: Is this a fresh, original approach to student well-being?
Cross-Major Integration: How well did you weave together the distinct academic backgrounds of your team members?
Potential for Impact: To what extent will this initiative tangibly improve the daily lives and well-being of GT students?
Clarity of Pitch: How effectively and persuasively did your team communicate the idea?
Event Timeline
May 4: Registration Deadline
May 6: Team Assignments Announced (You will be placed in a 3-person team with students from different majors)
May 8 (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM): Virtual Event Overview & Kickoff
May 9 - 10: Working Weekend (Collaborate with your team to build your initiative)
Week of May 11: Judging & Winner Notifications
Ready to Build the Future?
Space for this Idea-athon is limited. Please fill out the registration form below to express your interest. (Please note: registering does not guarantee participation; selected participants will be notified by May 6th).