This past school year put distance learning front and center. It also made more people aware of a big problem called the “digital divide.” The digital divide suggests that not everyone has access to reliable internet or even computers—making distance learning nearly impossible. It’s not a new issue, but it has grown more critical with the COVID-19 crisis, so North East ISD students are working to fix it.
San Antonio Mayor, Ron Nirenberg, started a competition earlier this year, looking for answers to the digital divide. Sixty-six teams competed, nearly half of them (26) were from NEISD’s Krueger School of Applied Technologies (KSAT). Over the past couple of weeks, two KSAT teams made it to the top 10, and one of them just won first place.
“This project was amazing all the way around--everyone benefited,” said teacher and team sponsor, Tracy Thomas. “The real-world exposure could not have been more real. The teams had to take their idea and think about today’s pandemic and how it could work now with new CDC guidelines, and they did.”
These teams excelled despite the competition being forced to change during the pandemic. They had to figure out how to make their plans work under new guidelines. On top of that, they had to work as a team while being apart.
“These students and mentors were dedicated and determined to carry on the competition remotely,” said Thomas. “My students had a very unique experience, and all the adults involved spent their free time to help them finalize their presentation.”
Thomas stressed how important a competition like this is for her students.
“Community excitement, engagement, and mentoring is priceless,” she said. “The students cannot get what they learned from the SASmart Competition from a textbook or lecture.”
The winning team not only earned the mayor’s respect, but they also took home swag bags, including a Chromebook.
To see the students in action earlier this year, click here.
To find out more about the competition, click here.
