Cambrian College Students Earn Award at Sudbury Hackathon

Three IT Business Analysis students won Best Use of UI/UX for an app that connects newcomers to community services.

A team of three Cambrian College students has earned first place in the Best Use of UI/UX (User Interface) category at a summer hackathon in Sudbury.

The Cursor Hackathon Sudbury was held at Laurentian University. It brought together students, developers, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts from across Northern Ontario to design AI-powered solutions to address real-world challenges. Working against a time limit, participants developed and presented original projects before a panel of judges.

Meet the winning team

Winning first place in the Best Use of UI/UX were Cambrian IT Business Analysis students Molly Viau of London, Ontario, Audrey Goudi Bambourbo of Cameroon, and Alex Yator of Kenya.

Their project, an app called SudburyConnect, is a platform that connects newcomers to a wide range of community services. The goal is to make the transition to Greater Sudbury easier and more welcoming. The SudburyConnect app can be found at SudburyConnect.ca.

“I didn't think we were going to win, so I was really surprised and pleased that we did,” says Molly Viau, who was born in Sudbury, but grew up in London, Ontario. She moved back to Sudbury to attend Cambrian. “I know what it's like to feel like a newcomer in the city, and I wanted something that would help people adjust to life here, especially if they are coming from a different country and English or French may not be their first language.”

Designing with accessibility in mind

“Taking part in this hackathon was a great experience, and we knew we did something that worked,” adds Audrey Goudi Bambourdo. “We put a lot of effort into accessibility — for example, seniors can also use their voice if they have trouble typing on the screen. We really wanted to help everyone in need and we are still thinking about adding more languages. We're hoping this app is used not only by newcomers, but also by residents of Greater Sudbury.”

Cambrian's IT Business Analysis program prepares graduates to bridge the gap between business needs and technology solutions through skills in business management, data management, software development and digital transformation. Experiences such as hackathons give students valuable opportunities to apply those skills in collaborative, fast-paced environments while building connections within Northern Ontario's growing technology ecosystem.

Cambrian College is Northern Ontario's largest college, with more than 100 programs. Cambrian's main campus is in Greater Sudbury, with satellite centres in Espanola and Little Current.