DBS, the Singapore Courts (SG Courts) and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) today announced the four winning teams of Hackathon for a Better World 2023 which focused on building a more mentally-resilient society.

The four winning teams from Rajah & Tann LLP, SG Courts, Legal Aid Bureau and DBS received their prizes from Guests-of-Honour, Justice Aedit Abdullah and Ms Tan Li San, Chief Executive Officer, NCSS, at an awards presentation and solutions showcase held this morning at DBS Asia Central.

Hackathon for a Better World 2023 kicked off on 21 July with 27 participating teams from the legal sector, institutions of higher learning, government agencies, and social enterprises, working on one of three problem statements[1]. To support participants, DBS conducted a design thinking workshop and worked with SG Courts and NCSS to connect the teams with design thinking mentors from DBS, and subject matter experts from social service agencies who provided mentorship during the hackathon.

In early October, six finalists presented their ideas to a judging panel who assessed the proposals on four criteria: innovativeness, feasibility of implementation, positive impact to society and application of design thinking.

“I've made a personal resolution to do more about promoting mental health and identifying, de-stigmatising and supporting mental health conditions in colleagues, employees, friends and loved ones. So, it was great to see the community – our friends in NCSS and the Supreme Court, and our participants – come together and hack out some innovative tech and non-tech ideas. Life is not easy; the world is hard and it takes a toll on us, yet we build a more resilient society if we get better at supporting each other,” said Lam Chee Kin, Group Head of Legal and Compliance, DBS.

Justice Aedit Abdullah said, “SG Courts is excited to be part of this meaningful joint effort, together with DBS and NCSS, to encourage the development of practical innovations that aim to tackle current and genuine concerns. I commend all teams for the effort, and in particular the winning teams for being exemplary in their creativity. More importantly, this annual event helps inculcate in all teams the spirit of innovation and problem-solving that will hold them in good stead as we navigate rapidly changing times.”

Tan Li San, CEO, NCSS, said, “We are encouraged to see more awareness and willingness to tackle mental health issues in Singapore. Participants in the hackathon have come together to develop innovative solutions that address a range of mental health issues – some meant for their own co-workers, and some meant for their clients. I hope that the hackathon has given participants deeper insights into mental health issues, and inspired them to contribute their talent, time and knowledge to improve mental health in workplaces.”

First held in 2020 by DBS and SG Courts, Hackathon for a Better World was Singapore’s first “slow-burn hackathon” featuring a public-private collaboration, that provides an action-oriented platform for the community to foster innovative solutions addressing societal issues. It takes a different approach from the usual hackathons which require participants to come up with solutions within a few hours or days. By adopting a “learn-as-you-hack” format – taking place over two months – Hackathon for a Better World enables participants to take their time to build, iterate and refine their solutions, whilst managing their existing commitments. Previous topics covered under Hackathon for a Better World include access to justice (2020), online harms for girls (2021) and scams (2022).

Translating ideas to bring about real-world impact

Over 100 teams from the public and private sectors have participated in Hackathon for a Better World since its first edition in 2020, and several winning proposals have been implemented by government agencies. For example, nine out of 28 submissions from Hackathon for a Better World 2021 on the theme of “Online Harms” were accepted by the Sunlight AfA (or the Singapore Together Alliance for Action to tackle online harms) to bolster national and grassroot efforts to make the online space safer for all, especially women and girls.

This year's edition of Hackathon for a Better World is part of DBS' broader commitment to support mental wellness in the community. For instance, the DBS Foundation's Community Impact Chapter[2] is working with community partners to kickstart mental wellness programmes targeted at youth. More details will be shared in due course.

[1]The three problem statements were a) How might employers promote employees' mental well-being and support employees in building mental resilience?; b) How might society foster openness and acceptance towards persons with mental health conditions and encourage people to speak up or take actions about their mental health and well-being?; and c) How might stakeholders in the community provide support (e.g. legal, financial, social, etc.), or remove barriers to help persons with mental health conditions or loved ones of persons with mental health conditions navigate challenges?

[2]The DBS Foundation's Community Impact chapter was formed in 2022 to prepare our communities for the future through two focus areas: Equipping the underserved with future-ready skills like financial & digital literacy and mental resilience, to face the future with confidence; and enabling communities to be more food secure and resilient, by tackling issues like food waste and food accessibility.