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Civic Engagement Sydney

Engage with Sydney's dynamic civic scene through Meetup

Monthly Hack Day - Cost of Living in an oil crisis

Monthly Hack Day - Cost of Living in an oil crisis

Sat, May 16, 12:15 AM
From Code for Sydney
4.7

The already bad Cost of Living crisis has recently got worst with the closing of the Straight of Hormuz and the oil crisis the world has been plunged into because of it. Can we think up some solutions that can save us money, help reduce our dependance on oil or generally improve life for ordinary people? During our monthly hack day, we'll learn about civic challenges, brainstorm ideas about solutions, and sit down to code together. Together, we can make an impact on civic challenges and build a better city. Networking with fellow software engineers, designers and student/s welcome! If anyone would like to present a quick talk or propose a project idea, do talk to us! Also please do join the discussion on Discord https://discord.gg/wPmp25Xnm5

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23 attendees

English Convo Café Club (B1+)

Sat, May 16, 12:00 AM
From English in the City

G’day mate! 🐨 Join me for relaxed, small-group English conversation practice in a friendly café-style setting, hosted by an Aussie native English speaker 👋🏽 Designed as a more personal and guided alternative to large language exchanges, these sessions focus on helping you build real confidence speaking English naturally in everyday situations. Through guided conversations, word games, cultural topics, and Aussie slang ☀️🦘🌊 you’ll practise real English in a relaxed and welcoming environment where mistakes are welcome. Tea or coffee is on me ☕ ✈️🌏 Perfect for international students, travellers, and newcomers to Sydney looking to improve their fluency, meet new people, and practise English beyond the classroom. 🤓 Designed for B1+ speakers (Looking for A1-A2 events? Check out our profile). Small groups only (max 6 people) so everyone has time to speak, connect, and feel included. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ LGBTQ+ friendly Cheers, Joshua *** 🇪🇸 Español ¡Hola mate! 🐨 Únete a una práctica relajada de conversación en inglés en grupos pequeños, en un ambiente estilo café, guiada por un hablante nativo australiano 👋🏽 Diseñado como una alternativa más cercana y guiada a los grandes intercambios de idiomas, estas sesiones se enfocan en ayudarte a ganar confianza hablando inglés de forma natural en situaciones reales del día a día. A través de conversaciones guiadas, juegos de palabras, temas culturales y slang australiano ☀️🦘🌊 practicarás inglés real en un ambiente relajado y acogedor donde los errores son bienvenidos. ¡El té o café corre por mi cuenta! ☕ ✈️🌏 Perfecto para estudiantes internacionales, viajeros y personas nuevas en Sídney que quieren mejorar su fluidez, conocer gente nueva y practicar inglés fuera del aula. 🤓 Diseñado para personas con nivel B1+ (¿Buscas eventos para nivel A1-A2? Visita nuestro perfil). Grupos pequeños únicamente (máx. 6 personas) para que todos tengan tiempo de hablar, conectar y sentirse incluidos. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ LGBTQ+ friendly Cheers, Joshua *** 🇧🇷 Português Oi mate! 🐨 Junte-se a uma prática relaxada de conversação em inglês em pequenos grupos, em um ambiente estilo café, conduzida por um falante nativo australiano 👋🏽 Criado como uma alternativa mais acolhedora e guiada aos grandes encontros de intercâmbio de idiomas, essas sessões ajudam você a ganhar confiança falando inglês naturalmente em situações do dia a dia. Através de conversas guiadas, jogos de palavras, temas culturais e gírias australianas ☀️🦘🌊 você praticará inglês real em um ambiente leve e acolhedor, onde erros são bem-vindos. O chá ou café é por minha conta ☕ ✈️🌏 Perfeito para estudantes internacionais, viajantes e pessoas novas em Sydney que querem melhorar sua fluência, conhecer novas pessoas e praticar inglês além da sala de aula. 🇧🇷 🤓 Desenvolvido para participantes com nível B1+ (Procurando eventos para nível A1-A2? Confira nosso perfil). Grupos pequenos apenas (máx. 6 pessoas) para que todos tenham tempo para falar, se conectar e se sentir incluídos. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ LGBTQ+ friendly Cheers, Joshua

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1 attendee
Chatswood Hackathon: AI for Real-World Impact

Chatswood Hackathon: AI for Real-World Impact

Fri, May 15, 11:00 PM
From GEEQ (that’s geek with EQ)
4.7

Ready to build something that actually matters? Join us for the **Chatswood Hackathon**, a one-day, in-person hackathon where you’ll team up with other ambitious builders to solve *real challenges* facing our local community. In partnership with **Willoughby City Council**, this is your chance to create solutions that could genuinely shape the future of Chatswood. 💡 **What You’ll Be Doing** Over the course of the day, you’ll: * Learn from a hands-on **AI workshop** to kick things off * Team up with other members of the GEEQ community (or bring your own team) * Build a **rapid prototype** tackling real-world problems * Pitch your solution to a panel of judges and community leaders No fluff. No fake problems. Just real impact. 🧠 **Challenge Areas** You’ll choose from problem statements like: * 🚗 Smarter traffic flow as the city grows * 🅿️ Real-time smart parking solutions * 📊 Data tools to support local businesses * ⚡ Sustainable “last mile” transport in Chatswood 🏆 **Why Join?** * Build something meaningful in just one day * Meet and collaborate with other talented builders * Get exposure to **council leaders and local stakeholders** * Present your idea at the **2026 Support Local Presentation Night** (for the top 3 winning teams) * And of course… **prizes and good vibes** 🗓 **Event Schedule** **9:00 AM** – Welcome & kickoff **9:30 AM** – AI workshop **10:30 AM – 3:00 PM** – Hackathon (with lunch provided) **3:00 PM – 4:00 PM** – Team presentations **4:00 PM – 5:00 PM** – Awards & celebration Morning tea, lunch, and nibbles & drinks all included. 👥 **Who Should Attend** * Developers, designers, data people, and builders * Anyone who wants to **learn, build, and make an impact** ⚡ **Spots Are Limited** This is a **boutique hackathon experience**, so we’re keeping numbers intentionally small to maximise collaboration and impact. 👉 **RSVP now and complete the registration form to secure your spot:** [Chatswood Hackathon: AI for Real-World Impact – Fill out form](https://forms.office.com/r/320guAkUDJ) If you’ve been waiting for a chance to *actually build something meaningful* — this is it.

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62 attendees

English Convo Café Club (A1-A2)

Wed, May 13, 9:00 AM
From English in the City

G’day mate! 🐨 Join me for relaxed, small-group English conversation practice in a friendly café-style setting, hosted by an Aussie native English speaker 👋🏽 Designed as a more personal and guided alternative to large language exchanges, these sessions focus on helping you build real confidence speaking English naturally in everyday situations. Through guided conversations, word games, cultural topics, and Aussie slang ☀️🦘🌊 you’ll practise real English in a relaxed and welcoming environment where mistakes are welcome. Tea or coffee is on me ☕ ✈️🌏 Perfect for international students, travellers, and newcomers to Sydney looking to improve their fluency, meet new people, and practise English beyond the classroom. 🤓 Designed for A1-A2 speakers (Looking for B1+ events? Check out our profile). Small groups only (max 6 people) so everyone has time to speak, connect, and feel included. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ LGBTQ+ friendly Cheers, Joshua *** 🇪🇸 Español ¡Hola mate! 🐨 Únete a una práctica relajada de conversación en inglés en grupos pequeños, en un ambiente estilo café, guiada por un hablante nativo australiano 👋🏽 Diseñado como una alternativa más cercana y guiada a los grandes intercambios de idiomas, estas sesiones se enfocan en ayudarte a ganar confianza hablando inglés de forma natural en situaciones reales del día a día. A través de conversaciones guiadas, juegos de palabras, temas culturales y slang australiano ☀️🦘🌊 practicarás inglés real en un ambiente relajado y acogedor donde los errores son bienvenidos. ¡El té o café corre por mi cuenta! ☕ ✈️🌏 Perfecto para estudiantes internacionales, viajeros y personas nuevas en Sídney que quieren mejorar su fluidez, conocer gente nueva y practicar inglés fuera del aula. 🤓 Diseñado para personas con nivel A1–A2 (¿Buscas eventos para nivel B1+? Visita nuestro perfil). Grupos pequeños únicamente (máx. 6-8 personas) para que todos tengan tiempo de hablar, conectar y sentirse incluidos. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ LGBTQ+ friendly Cheers, Joshua *** 🇧🇷 Português Oi mate! 🐨 Junte-se a uma prática relaxada de conversação em inglês em pequenos grupos, em um ambiente estilo café, conduzida por um falante nativo australiano 👋🏽 Criado como uma alternativa mais acolhedora e guiada aos grandes encontros de intercâmbio de idiomas, essas sessões ajudam você a ganhar confiança falando inglês naturalmente em situações do dia a dia. Através de conversas guiadas, jogos de palavras, temas culturais e gírias australianas ☀️🦘🌊 você praticará inglês real em um ambiente leve e acolhedor, onde erros são bem-vindos. O chá ou café é por minha conta ☕ ✈️🌏 Perfeito para estudantes internacionais, viajantes e pessoas novas em Sydney que querem melhorar sua fluência, conhecer novas pessoas e praticar inglês além da sala de aula. 🇧🇷 🤓 Desenvolvido para participantes com nível A1–A2 (Procurando eventos para nível B1+? Confira nosso perfil). Grupos pequenos apenas (máx. 6-8 pessoas) para que todos tenham tempo para falar, se conectar e se sentir incluídos. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ LGBTQ+ friendly Cheers, Joshua

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1 attendee
May social - knowledge or critical thinking?

May social - knowledge or critical thinking?

Thu, May 21, 8:30 AM
From Sydney Atheists
4.6

This evening will be our May social. Come along for food, drink and a chat with friends and like minds. The ice-breaker for discussion will be - Is knowledge or critical thinking more important in education?

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11 attendees
Cook & Connect with a Bay View

Cook & Connect with a Bay View

Sun, May 17, 1:00 AM
From Sip & Paint Bay View – Mosman
4.9

**New Initiative** 🔥 🍝 **Cook & Connect – Cooking Class with a Bay View** Join a relaxed, social cooking experience in our cozy waterfront home in Mosman, overlooking the bay. You will learn how to make pasta from scratch from Italian Chef 👨‍🍳 ✨ No pressure. Just good food, beautiful views, and great people. Learn simple, delicious Italian recipes step by step, then sit down and enjoy the meal we’ve cooked together. **Reserve your spot here:** https://events.humanitix.com/cook-and-connect-u35je7d6 To preserve the unique home vibe, attendance is strictly limited to **15 guests**. Although Meetup may display a higher number, spots are reserved on a first come, first served basis, and priority is given to the first 15 guests who purchase a ticket. If you can still buy the ticket on Humanitix, you can join us! Perfect to meet new people, have fun, and enjoy great food with an amazing view. 📅 Sunday, 17 May ⏰ 11 AM – 2 PM + enjoy home made Lunch all together Can’t wait to see you 💚

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19 attendees
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Frequently asked questions

Meetup connects people with common interests, allowing them to join groups and events where they can engage with others. Whether you're new in town or seeking to expand your community, Meetup can help you find events that match your civic interests.

Explore Meetup's search feature to locate civic engagement groups across Sydney. By entering related keywords or browsing categories, you can discover a variety of local groups committed to civic initiatives.

Sydney's civic events on Meetup range from local activism and volunteer opportunities to educational forums and community discussions, offering varied ways to participate in civic life and make a difference.

Yes, many civic engagement events offer online participation options, allowing you to contribute to discussions and activities even if you're not physically present in Sydney.

To RSVP, simply find your desired event on the Meetup platform, click 'Attend' or 'RSVP', and confirm your participation. This helps the event organizers manage logistics and communicate with attendees.

Many civic events and groups on Meetup are free, though some may require a small fee or donation to cover materials. Be sure to check specific event details for any listed costs.

Creating a Meetup account and joining groups is free. Some groups may charge a membership fee or ticket price for events, which will be specified in event details.

Groups are often created by community leaders or enthusiasts who want to gather people for specific causes or interests. These organizers maintain the group’s calendar and events.

Meetup facilitates meetings and knowledge exchange among people with similar civic interests, although it can’t guarantee immediate friendships. Engaging regularly with groups can enhance these connections.

Meetup doesn't directly organize events; rather, it acts as a platform for community leaders to arrange their own gatherings. This allows for a diverse array of civic-focused events in your area.

The availability of groups depends on user activity in your area. If you can't find a group, you might consider starting one to build your own community around a specific civic interest.

Absolutely, you can leave a Meetup group whenever you choose. Simply navigate to the group page on the platform and select the option to leave the group.

No commitment is required when joining a Meetup group. You’re free to attend just the events that match your schedule and interests, offering flexibility in civic participation.

Given events can be in-person or online, it depends largely on what individual organizers decide. Check event descriptions for single-mode or hybrid details.

Quality and frequency of Meetup events can vary based on organizer commitment and local demand. Joining active groups often increases your chances to participate in well-organized activities.