CyberBalance - Well-being in Digital Education

The hackathon “CyberBalance - Well-being in Digital Education: Balancing Screen Time and Mental Health”, organised by the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering in Skopje, aims to inspire young innovators to rethink how digital technologies can support well-being in education and to explore how to balance screen time, enhance focus, and safeguard mental health in the digital era.

Participants should be high school or university students with interest in technology, design, psychology, or education. Teams of 3–5 members will work on real-life challenges supported by mentors from academia and industry. Through design thinking and collaboration, teams will develop practical ideas, apps, awareness campaigns that promote responsible use of digital tools in schools and everyday life, or policy recommendations for integrating digital health and safety into national education frameworks.

Organised under the European Commission’s Digital Education Hackathon (DigiEduHack) and supported by MKSafeNet – the Safer Internet Center of North Macedonia, the event integrates themes of online safety, media literacy, and positive digital habits. Workshops, mentoring sessions, and interactive discussions will guide participants in developing human-centred, ethical, and scalable digital well-being solutions.

The address to attend this blended event onsite is: "Rugjer Boshkovikj" 16 PO Box 393 1000 Skopje.

Questions?

biljanastojkoska@yahoo.com

Prizes

FCSE Skopje scholarship awarded to the winning team

Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering

Who can join?

Secondary students

VET students

University students

Teachers and/or educators

Researchers

Education professionals

07 - 10 NOV 2025

Language(s) of the hackathon

English, Macedonian

Blended

Skopje - North Macedonia

Category:

Well-being in Digital Education

Challenge and goals

The hackathon invites students and high school pupils to develop innovative solutions for a safer, healthier, and more balanced digital learning experience. The event aims to promote digital well-being, mental health awareness, and responsible technology use, encouraging participants to reflect on how screen time impacts focus, emotional stability, and overall psychological well-being. Participants will explore ways to balance study and rest, create tools for tracking and managing screen time, and promote positive online habits. The themes also include online safety, privacy protection, prevention of cyberbullying, and AI literacy. This hackathon blends creativity, technology, and care for mental wellbeing, empowering young people to shape a more responsible, safer, and sustainable digital future.

The hackathon aims to:

• Foster awareness of mental health and screen time balance in digital education.
• Encourage creative, youth-driven solutions for well-being and safer internet use.
• Strengthen collaboration between students, teachers, and digital experts.
• Generate digital tools, prototypes, or awareness campaigns supporting healthy digital habits.

Expected outcomes include new apps or gamified solutions promoting balanced technology use, guidelines for educators on fostering well-being in classrooms, and policy recommendations for integrating digital health and safety into national education frameworks.

Expectations and requirements for the solutions and participants

Participants should be high school or university students with interest in technology, design, psychology, or education. Teams of 3–5 members will work on real-life challenges supported by mentors from academia and industry. Basic digital skills and creative thinking are encouraged; no advanced coding experience is required. Teams should submit a short concept presentation or prototype within 24 hours.

Available Support

To ensure all teams can succeed, we are providing comprehensive support throughout the event. All participants will have access to mentorship sessions with industry experts from both technical and business backgrounds. These sessions are designed to help you refine your project, debug code, and perfect your pitch.

For those attending, we have a dedicated 24/7 workspace ready for you. This includes high-speed Wi-Fi, ample power, and refreshments to keep you fueled and focused.

Schedule

08.11.2025 10:00 - 10:30

Registration
08.11.2025 10:30 - 11:00

KickOff Session

Introduction to the hackathon goals and structure Keynote speeches from: Petre Lameski, the Dean of FINKI, Ivan Chorbev, Project coordinator of MKSafeNet Biljana Risteska Stojkoska, Organizing committee
08.11.2025 11:00 - 13:30

Session 1 – Team Synergy & Strategic Planning

Team Synergy & Strategic Planning establishes your foundation for the hackathon: form your teams, receive a deep-dive challenge briefing, and start defining your path to a winning solution through expert mentor guidance and practical strategic planning tools.
08.11.2025 13:30 - 14:30

Lunch Break
08.11.2025 14:30 - 17:00

Session 2 - Deep Dive Mentoring

This is your core work period enhanced by expert support. Leverage the mentors' diverse skills to get feedback on your concept, resolve technical hurdles, and keep your project on track.
09.11.2025 09:30 - 10:00

Early Bird Session

Elevate your final presentation during this expert Early Bird Session, where specialists will provide concise sessions on pitching mastery, the art of storytelling, and proven methods for effectively communicating complex technical ideas to any audience.
09.11.2025 10:00 - 11:30

Session 3 - Execution & Delivery

Dedicated to production, Session 3 centers on the full build-out of your product, specifically driving the development of essential toolkits/guides and performing the final integration of pilot-ready solutions so your team is ready for the demo stage.
09.11.2025 11:30 - 13:00

Session 4 - Presentation Strategy

Ensure presentation success in Session 4, where teams focus on the final refinement of all deliverables and demo scripts, culminating in a vital mentor feedback round to guarantee your pitch and solution are ready for the judges.
09.11.2025 13:00 - 14:00

Lunch Break
09.11.2025 14:00 - 16:00

Innovation Finals & Awards Ceremony

Join us for the grand finale of the hackathon, featuring the Final Pitches - a crucial 5-minute presentation followed by a rigorous Jury Q&A - before the much-anticipated Award Ceremony where the best solutions are celebrated and awarded.