On 16 and 17 April 2026, Ramada Secondary School hosted the Public Health IDEAS Hackathon, an initiative that brought together 11th and 12th grade students to work in teams on innovative public health solutions. The event, organised by lecturers Teresa Magalhães and Carolina Santos from NOVA NSPH, and by Marília Ramalho and Albertina Alvares from Ramada Secondary School, also benefited from the technical support of specialists from Google.
Over the course of two intensive days, 16 teams, divided between two major challenges, dedicated themselves to analysing real problems affecting communities and cities. The first challenge, “Truth or Trap?”, focused on combating health misinformation and identifying risks associated with online communities. The second challenge, “Odivelas: what do the data reveal about the city’s health?”, invited students to explore digital data to understand urban health patterns in the municipality of Odivelas.
Throughout the Hackathon, participants had the opportunity to engage with key concepts and practices in public health, gaining a more concrete understanding of the relevance of this field for protecting and promoting population health, awareness that helps spark interest in future educational pathways in this area.
The teams’ work was supported by tutors, with additional guidance from Google professionals in the use of digital tools and data analysis. Before the official start, all participants attended an online preparatory session, where they were introduced to fundamental public health concepts, the Hackathon’s framework, and the digital platforms they would be using.
During the event, students took part in ideation sessions, interactive activities, mentoring moments and periods dedicated to developing their proposals. In the end, each team presented its pitch to a jury, which selected two winning teams, one per challenge.
The closing of the Public Health IDEAS Hackathon was marked by a celebratory atmosphere, with the awarding of certificates, a group photo, and a cake shared among participants, organisers and tutors, an opportunity to highlight the students’ commitment and creativity over the two days.
