After a week in rural Alaska we weren’t sure how we’d adjust to nearly two weeks in bustling Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Of course, the “pearl of the Danube” didn’t disappoint, and we had fantastic experiences both during and outside of our workshops with kids.

To bring the City X Project to Budapest, IDEAco, our parent organization, partnered with Design Terminál, a government-supported organization in Budapest created to further design education in Hungary, as well as Singularity University, an incredible institution using exponential technologies to positively impact 1 billion lives in 10 years. Our Director, Libby Falck, is an alumnus of Singularity University’s Graduate Studies Program. These partnerships were possible because SU was hosting the Singularity University Summit Europe, which we were extremely excited to be a part of.

Particularly exciting for us was the Summit’s exhibition of 3D printing technologies at Design Terminál. Represented were several impressive 3D technology companies, but our exhibit was unique in that we showcased the work of children. On display were 3D-printed models of kids’ inventions from City X Project workshops in Wisconsin, Alaska, Beirut, and Budapest, as well as those kids’ portraits. We also encouraged the exhibit’s adult visitors to invent their own solutions for the citizens of City X on the spot and share them through a live visualization provided by Tweetbeam. You can see some of these inventions on our twitter feed @cityxproject.

We were also able to train approximately 40 teachers on the principles of design thinking in education specifically in the context of the City X Project. And yes, the teachers did have to come up with inventions that solved problems in City X!

The Summit included several inspiring TED-style talks, including speakers like Amanda Boxtel, a paraplegic who walked around stage in a 3D-printed, robotic exoskeleton, and Daniel Kraft, SU’s Chair of Medicine & Neuroscience explaining the democratization of health data and extraordinary advances in healthcare, including the path toward 3D-printed human organs and the X Prize for the first working Star Trek-style tricorder. City X Project Director Libby Falck also took to the stage for a panel discussion about exponential projects and companies that SU alumni are involved in.

We could not be happier with our experience participating in the Summit, and we’re looking at exploring several new partnerships to bring the City X Project to even more kids around the world.

Next on the blog: Our favorite inventions from Budapest! Sign up for our email newsletters to make sure you don’t miss it.