For Immediate Release
Thursday April 1, 2021
Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School (IGGS) in partnership with Ipswich City Council (ICC) will bring the broader community together in a first-time collaborative effort to tackle some of the community challenges facing the region.
Ipswich is the fastest-growing city in Queensland, with the population estimated to increase from 222,000 to 558,000 over the next 20 years. For Ipswich to be a place for visionaries to emerge, innovate, grow and prosper, supported by sustainable planning and a philosophy of success, collaboration is key.
IGGSHACK is a community initiative created by IGGS, as part of a wider Enterprise Education strategy at the School. The event will engage forward thinking change makers within the School and local community to collaboratively create world-class innovative solutions to current problems in the region. With open, transparent problem-solving techniques and engagement between the members of the community, bright minds, fresh thinkers, enthusiastic innovators, creatives and community members, IGGS aims to drive collective contribution and ideate for positive change that can foster happy, successful lives for individual and the community.
The event aims to embrace the diversity of the groups coming together to solve shared problems. Across the weekend, teams will address specific issues and key problem areas highlighted by the Ipswich City Council whilst working together to define possible solutions.
IGGS Principle Dr Peter Britton said:
“In today’s rapidly changing, complex world, the need for entrepreneurial thinkers at all levels of society has never been greater. Our school’s Incubator for Young Innovators and Entrepreneurs aims to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in students. Part of this mindset is creating a framework for thinking and acting that can empower people to succeed. We are excited to provide an opportunity for our students and those in our wider community to participate in this event, providing a platform to discuss positive solutions to real-world problems and draw on their entrepreneurial thinking to evaluate problems with a solutions-based approach.”
Ipswich Girls’ Grammar is focused on activating and encouraging young innovators within the School community via various programs and events. As leaders in the region for education and community contribution, IGGSHACK is a new initiative designed to engage directly with the community via the various community groups sharing their problem areas. Through the partnership with Ipswich City Council the event will provide the opportunity for IGGS students their families and the broader community to address issues facing their local area.
The event will be co-facilitated by IGGS’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) and startup veteran Peta Ellis. Peta is also an IGGS Old Girl and she grew up in the region. Peta will work alongside multi-world record holder adventurer and entrepreneur, Eleanor Carey. Both women have led multiple programs events in the innovation and entrepreneurship space nationally and internationally. Along with their knowledge and experience in delivering high impact events that drive change, they are positive role models for the young women at IGGS and fellow students who attend the event.
Sunday afternoon will showcase the final pitches from all teams. After 20 hours of action-based teamwork, the solutions pitched will address the focus areas of Youth, Safety and Community. Teams will present to a panel of judges who will be looking for innovative, creative and sustainable solutions to the focus areas. The Sunday pitches are open to the public and the community is encouraged to get involved.