Salesforce

The Future Trailblazer Challenge

Thank you Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Ebony Beckwith, Susan Prescott, Ron Smith, and all the exquisite Salesforce employees.

In the course of the Future Trailblazer Challenge, my students learned about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) by engaging in active problem solving of real-world problems in a project-based learning environment. Students used the latest developed technology to create unique solutions to their vision for sustainable development. Certainly, the Future Trailblazer has a student-centered approach where students initiated their projects and owned the entire process which gave them a sense of a bigger purpose as well as the confidence that they can be change-makers.

Thanks to CSinSF, Kim Chouard, Bryan Twarek, Andrew Rothman, Brenda Martinez and the team of superb volunteers.

Furthermore, working with a diverse group of Salesforce professionals and presenting their projects to the Salesforce employees and at the TrailheadDX/Dreamforce Conference the students had a fully authentic experience. The volunteers quickly established a rapport with everyone and worked alongside the students on each step of the process of building, encouraging, presenting, and celebrating their work.

Thanks to our current principal Ms. Fierst and former principal Mr. West for supporting the Computer Science program at our school!

Furthermore, thanks for providing the tools such as new furniture, laptops, coordinating with the volunteers, the needed assistance for creating our Maker Space, and the Computer Science program in general.

Team Horizon represented Francisco middle school at the TrailheadDX Conference in 2019. Their project Zero Hunger - a community garden to support the homeless and give them purpose won the Audience Vote. This was a rewarding teamwork experience that fostered students' pride and agency. We dedicated the funds towards building our new Makerspace in the CS classroom.

Team Pioneers presenting their Plastic Biodegrader (Disintegration Ray) Project

Team Pioneers at Dreamforce 2019

The Future Trailblazer Challenge was a gateway for my students. Our school has a very diverse student body. Many of them have no experience making technology, only using it. Most of them didn’t have a strong interest in coding and making electronics, but the Challenge got them involved in ways that surprised even them. They were truly engaged and motivated to learn new technologies such as microbots, 3D design and printing. Furthermore, they learned and experimented with Arduino, building electronics using the motherboard. This gave them hands-on experience in making, debugging, testing, improving, and fixing their original projects. They even came during lunch and early in the morning to test their solutions. In addition, the Challenge inspired them to become innovators learning about the UN Global Goals raising awareness for a sustainable future.