Hacking Hunger MKE

Maker Faire Milwaukee will welcome 88Nine Labs, Feeding America, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design – and the inaugural Hacking Hunger MKE challenge – to this year’s event.

The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum presents Maker Faire Milwaukee to introduce the community to the Global Maker Movement, a powerful force in education, workforce training and economic development, and in the creation of technology and tools that are changing how children and young people will live, work and learn in the future. Issues of hunger impact child development, school attendance and performance, family health and much more, and the Museum is proud to add the Hacking Hunger MKE event to the Faire as part of our commitment to outreach and education programs for children and families.

Creativity and innovation around social and community issues is a hallmark of the Maker Movement, and Hacking Hunger MKE will challenge teams to design systems, processes, tools or communications that address these topics:

Reducing Food Waste: farm gleaning, food labeling and keeping imperfect food out of landfills;
Addressing Food Access: transportation obstacles for the homebound or elderly, promoting Impact 211 (Milwaukee County’s emergency food resource) and addressing the needs of transient clients or those without utilities or appliances; and
Improving Food Literacy: education tools about multicultural food choices, food distribution that prioritizes the availability of staple items for families with young children and other audiences, and education about using and preserving fresh foods.

Hacking Hunger MKE begins on Saturday morning, September 14, and teams will pitch their ideas on Sunday afternoon, September 15 at 3 pm.

Maker Faire Milwaukee will host a food drive to benefit Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin on Friday, September, 13 from 4 pm to 7 pm. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.