\t\t![\"Students](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/FSU_5392.jpg\")
Florida State University\u2019s Innovation Hub recently hosted a 24-hour Create-a-thon as part of the 2026 Festival of the Creative Arts, partnering with the FSU Office of Research to help students use innovation and creativity to make projects that bring the Tallahassee community together. (Casey McCarthy\/Florida State University)\t\t<\/p>\n
Students at Florida State University\u00a0fused human creativity with modern technology during a\u00a0recent\u00a024-hour\u00a0Create-a-thon<\/a>.\u00a0The\u00a0design\u00a0sprint,\u00a0hosted by\u00a0FSU\u2019s\u00a0Innovation Hub<\/a>, challenged participants to celebrate Tallahassee\u2019s community spirit by building interactive experiences that cultivate a lasting sense of belonging and connection.<\/p>\n The event served as a\u00a0feature\u00a0of the\u00a02026 Festival of the Creative Arts<\/a>\u00a0(FCA), an initiative led by the\u00a0FSU Office of Research<\/a>\u00a0that highlights the voices and talents of students and faculty across the university.<\/p>\n \u201cEvents like this\u00a0Create-a-thon\u00a0provide our students with a space where creativity is the primary driver of discovery,\u201d said Ken Baldauf, founding director of the Innovation Hub. \u201cWhen we bring together dancers, engineers,\u00a0musicians,\u00a0writers and scientists, we aren\u2019t just making art,\u00a0we are developing a universal language for\u00a0problem\u00a0solving\u00a0that leverages the latest technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Students from various fields, including music, art education, computer science and engineering, worked for 24 hours to research the needs of the Tallahassee community and develop solutions. (Logan Lowery\/Florida State University)Students consulted with university and community experts throughout the event, asking questions and receiving direct guidance to help develop their projects. (Logan Lowery\/Florida State University)Teams comprising students with various backgrounds worked together to identify local needs and develop creative projects that support the Tallahassee community. (Casey McCarthy\/Florida State University)Ken Baldauf, founding director of the Innovation Hub, shares the Create-a-thon objective that students will spend the next 24 hours innovating ideas that will help people in Tallahassee feel more connected. (Logan Lowery\/Florida State University)<\/p>\n During the event, eight interdisciplinary teams\u00a0of\u00a0five students from varied fields, such\u00a0as music, art education, computer science and engineering, worked for 24 hours to understand the needs of the Tallahassee community and develop solutions that build connections and strengthen our sense of community.<\/p>\n The\u00a0event\u00a0kicked off with an interactive discussion featuring\u00a0Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey<\/a>, moderated by Brittney Pieper of the\u00a0FSU Career Center<\/a>. During the discussion, Dailey answered student questions ranging from the role of creativity in civic\u00a0problem\u00a0solving\u00a0to successful city projects like Cascades Park, the Longest Table and Word of South,\u00a0as well as modern challenges that open possibilities for connection.<\/p>\n He encouraged students to look past the campus \u201cbubble\u201d and find ways to apply their education to the city\u2019s real-world civic challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cTallahassee is a university town. Anytime we can engage students to think big and help us solve the challenges that face society, it\u00a0is a win-win situation,\u201d said Mayor Dailey.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The program opened with a Q&A session where Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and Brittney Pieper from the FSU Career Center shared how creative thinking can build a brighter future for the local community. (Logan Lowery\/Florida State University)Following the group discussion, Mayor Dailey met with students for one-on-one conversations, sharing how their creative ideas could help shape the city and bring local projects to life. (Logan Lowery\/Florida State University)<\/p>\n Students also\u00a0participated\u00a0in a panel discussion with creative experts including\u00a0Rob Duarte<\/a>\u00a0of the Department of Art,\u00a0Wen Guo<\/a>\u00a0of the Department of Art Education,\u00a0Noel Wan<\/a>\u00a0of the College of\u00a0Music\u00a0and\u00a0Eric Adams<\/a>\u00a0of the Innovation Hub.<\/p>\n The panel provided insights into how public art, interactive exhibits, events,\u00a0performances\u00a0and augmented reality technologies can positively\u00a0impact\u00a0a community, using examples from cities around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great to show the students examples of creative projects that engage\u00a0the community\u00a0in authentic\u00a0ways and\u00a0then see how they brought their own experience and empathy to the design process,\u201d said Rob\u00a0Duarte,\u00a0associate\u00a0professor\u00a0and MFA\u00a0program\u00a0director.<\/p>\n For the next 24 hours, students applied a formal design thinking framework to tackle these urban challenges. The teams were mentored by a group of experts\u00a0comprising\u00a0the\u00a0previous\u00a0panel, which included dance professor and creativity specialist\u00a0Tiffany Rhynard<\/a>, who guided them through their unique creative processes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Student teams presented their final designs and interactive prototypes, explaining how their creative visions could help bring the Tallahassee community together. (Casey McCarthy\/Florida State University)The design sprint concluded with a pitch-and-performance competition, where a panel of faculty and community leaders celebrated the students’ most creative, practical, and impactful prototypes. (Casey McCarthy\/Florida State University)<\/p>\n The\u00a0design\u00a0sprint culminated in a high-stakes pitch and performance competition Saturday afternoon where a panel of faculty and community experts evaluated the\u00a0projects based on\u00a0innovative\u00a0creativity,\u00a0impact,\u00a0feasibility and the quality of the\u00a0prototype and\u00a0pitch.<\/p>\n Taking first place was\u00a0Tallahassee Twilight Trails<\/a>, featuring Isiaq Allison, Kamden Hatten, Ahmed\u00a0Owens\u00a0and\u00a0Pixit\u00a0Taylor. The\u00a0group developed an interactive trail system that uses sidewalk murals and photoluminescent paint to connect historic neighborhoods, encouraging residents and students to explore the city safely after dark to foster a greater sense of shared local identity.<\/p>\n Second place was awarded to\u00a0Pop-Up Books TLH<\/a>, a team\u00a0comprised\u00a0of Sebastian Abril, Conor Finnegan, Mrinal Raina, Riyad Rzayev and Dakota Turner.\u00a0Their project featured a creative literacy and art initiative that brings oversized, interactive \u201cstory stations\u201d to vacant public spaces to celebrate local history and encourage intergenerational storytelling throughout the community.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Participants showcased their work to the judges, demonstrating how they used new technology to address local challenges. (Casey McCarthy\/Florida State University)James Hudson, one of the guest judges, provides feedback to students on how their creative designs can address real-world challenges in Tallahassee. (Casey McCarthy\/Florida State University)<\/p>\n \u201cThe\u00a0Create-a-thon\u00a0was an intersectional way\u00a0to combine minds from different fields and majors to solve a uniting issue that is pertinent within our community,\u201d said\u00a0Sebastian Abril,\u00a0a student\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0College of\u00a0Arts and\u00a0Sciences.\u00a0\u201cIt\u00a0felt great to make new friends and figure out creative solutions to real-world situations that can positively\u00a0impact\u00a0the community that we all share.\u201d<\/p>\n