Amid sawdust, sanders and homemade rockets, sit 11 Krueger School of Applied Technologies (KSAT) students with one goal: finding a solution to the digital divide in San Antonio.
This group makes up two of the 26 teams at KSAT taking part in the Mayor’s Smart City Challenge. These eighth-graders are working on a solution to the growing digital inclusion problem here and across the U.S.
KSAT student, Phineas Roberts, explains the problem this way, “There’s a very large percentage of San Antonio and other cities around the world that do not have access to the internet, whether it be through lack of Wi-Fi or lack of the devices needed.”
These students are getting real-world experience as they solve a real-world problem. Something their Principals of Applied Engineering Teacher, Tracy Thomas, says is invaluable.
“They are using real job skills in order to put together these presentations so that they might have to present if they make it far enough in the competition.”
So far, the teams have taken part in a competition clinic. This was the first opportunity to get feedback on their idea and gave these teams a chance to get help and advice from experts in digital fields from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Geekdom, and Rackspace.
Since this is a competition, they didn’t want to reveal too much about their solutions just yet, but they do express how much they are loving the experience and having fun in the process.
Their teacher couldn’t be prouder.
“They really are using adult-like thinking in order to do these projects, and that’s what makes it worthwhile and getting the community involved as well, “said Thomas.
The first round of proposals in the competition is Feb. 14. The first round of cuts will be March 6.
Finalists will be announced March 13 with a winner crowned in May. Good luck to all the NEISD teams competing in the Mayor’s SA Smart Challenge.
