Students from Brainster Next College and Brainster Academies join forces to fight air pollution in Skopje at the largest

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Our students participated in the largest Brainster live hackathon. Read more about the importance of the application they created and the atmosphere during the 49 hours.
air-care-hackathon | Software engineering and innovation Brainster | Brainster Next College
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With much excitement, cheers and laughter, in a race against time and technical capabilities, over 150 highly motivated students created their most significant code this weekend – one that will help us all breathe better. The largest live hackathon ever in the region, which was also the longest, lasting 49 hours, took place this weekend, organized by the leading educational and technological organization Brainster, in partnership with the startup AirCare.

In a dynamic environment, filled with lots of emotions, teamwork, and learning, students from the Software Engineering and Innovation study program at Brainster Next College competed, but also collaborated, along rcs data asia students from the Brainster academies for Front-End Programming, Full-Stack Programming, Data Science, Software Testing, and Project & Product Management.


Divided into 12 teams, they created the Breathe.mk application, for reporting air pollution in Skopje, which will be used by citizens in the future. The platform will enable monitoring and reporting of air pollution, after which environmental inspectors from the City of Skopje will go out into the field.

Based on the winning solution from the first Air Care hackathon , which took place in early October, this time the students worked on the implementation of the selected UX/UI design, by coding the Front-End and Back-End of the platform, testing it, setting up the ability to monitor and locate pollution, and other functionalities.


A digital solution for the good of society
Breathe.mk's initiator, Alex Dolstra, emphasized that this is not just another website, it is a solution that allows our community to actively report on air pollution.

"Breathe.mk is more than just a platform – it is a movement, a call to action and a powerful way for Skopje residents to take control of their air quality. Breathe.mk is proof of the power of collective action. But what sets this application apart is the vision for an automated system that can accurately identify the weakest link. This is where real change begins. With Breathe.mk, we will no longer be passive observers, but will be witnesses who will hold our institutions accountable. We will see if their efforts to combat air pollution are just empty promises or will finally turn into meaningful actions. This is our chance to make a difference, to restore the right to clean air and to secure a better future for our beloved Skopje. Breathe.mk has given us a platform, but it is up to us to seize the opportunity. Let's start today, for tomorrow, to breathe easier," Dolstra emphasized.