What was the Smart Communities Challenge?
The Smart Communities Challenge was presented by Earth District, in partnerships with Brilliant Catalyst at Ontario Tech University on March 13th and 14th, 2026.
The two-day event brought together students from across partner institutions to work on real-world challenges shaping the future of communities under three themes:
- Smart Urban Development & Sustainability
- Integrated Mobility & Quality of Life
- Climate Resilient Urban Ecosystems
Knowledge-Building Workshops
Day 1: Industry-Led Workshops
- Sustainable Campus Infrastructure
- Climate Resilience & Quality of Life
- Durham Region: Intelligent Community of 2025
Day 2: Business Skills Workshops
- Design Thinking & Problem Validation
- Lean Canvas & Business Modelling
- Presentation & Pitching Skills
Interinstitutional & Interdisciplinary Teams
Students were grouped across institutions and disciplines to spark interdisciplinary collaboration. Some of their programs included:
- Software and Mechanical Engineering
- New Media Studies
- Environmental Science
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Social Service Worker
- Master of Business Analytics & AI
- City Studies
- Architectural Technician
- ...and more!
Mentorship
Mentors listened to students develop their ideas, asked questions and provided advice where needed to help the students gain the following skills:
- Collaboration
- Design Thinking
- Public Speaking
- Problem Solving
- Visual Communication
- Business Development
- Entrepreneurial Leadership
Each group also had the opportunity to practice their pitches with a mentor prior to getting on the stage in front of the judges for their final pitch.
Pitch Sessions
The six teams pitched to four judges from:
- Durham Region Transit
- Toronto & Region Conservation Authority
- Ontario Power Generation; and
- Trent University
Three teams took home cash prizes!
Congratulations to the Winners!
First Prize
Second Prize
Second Prize
Second Prize
Second Prize
Second Prize