Hackonomics: Making Future Economists Through Real-World Challenges

Last week the Economics Department hosted its inaugural Hackonomics -an innovative economic hackathon that brought together 26 students from five different high schools for a day of critical thinking, collaboration and discovery.

The event explored the theme “Cost of Living”, challenging participants to find solutions for five major economic issues: tuition, housing, minimum wage, childcare expenses, and tariffs. Each table was paired with upper-year McMaster Economics students, offering guidance and insight as teams developed their ideas.

Developed by McMaster’s economic professors and researchers using real world data, the case studies challenged students to explore how economics impact and shape their everyday life. Working in five teams, students analyzed the issues and proposed a solution, learning not just what economist do, but how they think.

“We talked about tuition freezes with the professors and I didn’t know about that until coming in today,” said one grade 12 student from Hayden Secondary School. “Tuition is something were looking at right now since we’re in grade 12, the cost and the annual increase will be a factor in where I end up for university.”

“The scenario encouraged us to look at multiple viewpoints and what solution could benefit as many people as possible, instead of focusing on just one”.

The Hackathon concluded with two awards, selected by Acting Dean Dr. Kate Cuff, as well as experts from the Economics department. This included Department Chair, Dr. Marc-André Letendre, Dr. Zhen He, Dr. Mike Veall, Dr. Pau Pujolas, and Dr. Chris Muris.

The first-place prize -a pizza party for the winning team’s class -was awarded to the group whose solutions best reflected the analytical approach of professional economists. The second-place prize, recognized by their exceptional collaboration throughout the challenge, went home with McMaster sweatshirts. Our faculty panel deliberated after each presentation was given, and the choice was difficult to make. In the end, one group from Columbia International College came out as the ultimate winners, with the prize for best collaborators going to Hayden Secondary School.

This year’s Hackanomics was a resounding success, offering students hands on opportunities to engage with economic concepts in a meaningful and memorable way. The event showcased McMaster’s commitment to fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and community engagement among the next generation of scholars.

Would you like to be a part of Hackanomics next year? Get in touch with us!