Blue Bin Program

Can we design a secure blue box to enhance our city-wide recycling program?

Project description:

The current blue bin program in Hamilton is insufficient. Each household has 2 insubstantial and easily damaged blue for weekly recycling. The poor design and open tops lead to mass litter around the city and results in frustrated homeowners avoiding recycling in many weather conditions.City staff spends thousands of dollars yearly picking up loose blue box material from our streets.

Goals:

Students will research and/or design a new type of bin to hold household recycling. This bin design needs to be stylish, convenient to store, able to be cleaned, ergonomic for the staff picking up - but most importantly a secure bin to keep its contents in one place.

In addition, students will develop a proposal for the adoption of the new bin system by tracking and assessing benefits to the City of Hamilton. These may include a variety of benefits including cost savings measures by shifting to bi-weekly pick-up (fuel savings), and in reduction of retrieval of blue box containments in inclement weather, reduction in WSIB incidents and workplace injuries, safer streets with reduction of trucks on road.

Deliverable:

  • Propose an updated version of the blue bin design to be used in Hamilton.

  • Supplement proposal with cost/benefit analysis

Where the work will go and what it will be used for:

Ensuring the City streets will be clean, but also allowing road and park staff to focus on other areas such as roads and parks maintenance. Completion of this project will provide solutions for the future of recycling.

City Staff: Chris Dunsmuir, District Supervisor, Roads

ANIMAL SERVICES VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Animal Services for the City of Hamilton is in need of a volunteer program for residents.

Description:

This project will create a strong infrastructure to develop and support a volunteer program at City of Hamilton Animal Services. A student team will be tasked with researching best practices and building a framework to maximize the contributions volunteers can make.

Goals:

Students will build/expand a framework for a volunteer program that will:

  • Position volunteer program’s role within Animal Services that can fill the gaps and provide important initiatives

  • Identify resources to recruit, train, manage and retain volunteers for canine, feline, small animal enrichment, exercise and assistance

  • Ensure program is rooted in community-centered sheltering with set clear expectations

Deliverables:

Students will work on

  • Research

  • Business case

  • Build/expand a framework for a volunteer program

Where the work will go and what it will be used for:

This work will be used by the Animal Services team to build and launch a volunteer program.

City Staff name: Monica Ciriello, Director, Licensing and Bylaw Services

Sarah Mombourquette, Animal Services Supervisor, Animal services

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CHALLENGE BY WATCHING OUR MATCHMAKER SESSION

INFORMING EARLY YEARS SYSTEM EXPANSION

How will past quality trends inform Hamilton’s service quality with Canada-wide ELCC expansion?

Project Description:

The Hamilton Early Learning & Child Care (ELCC) quality program has collected primary quantitative/qualitative data yearly for the past five years. The City and Affiliated Services for Children & Youth (ASCY) use the data to determine quality goals, priorities, funding, resources and monitoring continuous improvement for the ELCC system and individual operators. A group of at least 5 students with data analysis skills, interest in early education and child development and/or quality in human services/programs are needed to assist the Performance, Planning and Evaluation Team, Senior Research Advisor, with analyzing 5 years of data. Students will collaborate and work independently to organize the data, determine appropriate methods for units of analysis, use validation/reliability controls and run analysis using MS Excel and/or IBM SPSS. The Senior Research Advisor will use the analysis to create a report for City and ASCY to inform planning and decision-making for future Canada-wide ELCC expansion.

Goals:

In order to collect the data, students would:

  • Organize the data from the past 5 years

  • Determine appropriate methods for units of analysis

  • Use validation/reliability controls and run analysis suing MS Excel, and/or IBM SPSS

Deliverables:

Historical data analysis on 5 years of primary data sources

Where the work will go and what it will be used for:

The Senior Research Advisor will use the analysis to create a report for City and ASCY to inform planning and decision-making for future Canada-wide ELCC expansion.

City Staff: Marion Trent-Kratz, Early Years Senior Research Advisor, Healthy and Safe Communities

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CHALLENGE BY WATCHING OUR MATCHMAKER SESSION