May 24, 2019 By Kaley Diamond

Kids Coding Presents: The Future Trailblazer Challenge

in TrailheaDX

At Salesforce.org, we believe in investing in youth from the classroom to the boardroom, and all the milestones along the way. Our commitment focuses on equity — we want to level the playing field and increase access to opportunities.

Future Ready is our philanthropic program committed to getting youth and young adults school and workforce ready. When youth are in school, excited to learn, thriving, employable and opportunity-ready, they are Future Ready, trailblazing towards a brighter future.

The Future Trailblazer Challenge aims to prepare students to do just that — help us achieve a better, brighter future by harnessing Fourth Industrial Revolution technology.

Salesforce employees volunteer with future trailblazers in their classrooms

The Future Trailblazer Challenge

The curriculum for the Challenge was created through a partnership between Salesforce.org employee Kim Chouard and Computer Science content specialist Andrew Rothman from the San Francisco Unified School District. The curriculum introduces the students to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and with the help of Salesforce volunteers, students create their vision of a sustainable future using cutting edge technologies like 3D printing, electronics, and more. Throughout 2019, 500+ students in Sydney, London, Paris, New York, and the Bay Area will participate in the Challenge.

Children try out collaborative solutions in the classroom

Inspiring students across the Bay Area

Here in the Bay Area, 135 local students from seven schools in the San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts have spent the past six weeks working on The Future Trailblazer Challenge curriculum in their classrooms. Through the curriculum, students have learned about Sustainable Development Goals, how to use micro:bits and a 3D printer, and the principles of coding. Next students broke out into teams and brainstormed a solution to one of the Sustainable Development Goals before creating a prototype designed out of cardboard. The students then added some fun electronics to their projects before learning how to successfully pitch their prototype designs.

Children manning a table at a maker fair onsite at Salesforce San Francisco

Future Trailblazer Challenge showcase at headquarters

On May 14, 2019, we hosted over 100 students on 29 teams at Salesforce's San Francisco Headquarters to showcase their final projects. Throughout the day each team pitched their designs to employees who voted on their favorite solution. The winning team from each school was given the opportunity to advance to the final showcase at TrailheaDX.

We’re excited to announce the winning teams below!

Team 1: Scare Net — Denman Middle School, San Francisco Unified School District
Solving for SDG #14 (Life Below Water) with an ocean de-polluting autonomous boat
Team 2: Air-Pollution Filter — Roosevelt Middle School, Oakland Unified School District
Solving for SDG #13 (Climate Action) with air filters aimed to reduce global warming
Team 3: Engineeris — Lawton Alternative School, San Francisco Unified School District
Solving for SDG #6 (Clean Water & Sanitation) with a portable water filtration system
Team 4: Mrs. Hot Dog — Hoover Middle School, San Francisco Unified School District
Solving for SDG #12 (Responsible Consumption & Production) with a gamified recycling kiosk
Team 5: NIL, The Aluminum Curtain — Bret Harte Middle School, Oakland Unified School District
Solving for SDG #4 (Quality Education) with an innovative door to keep schools safe
Team 6: Positivity — West Oakland Middle School, Oakland Unified School District
Solving for SDG #5 (Gender Equality) with an LGBTQ community building and support system
Team 7: Horizon — Francisco Middle School, San Francisco Unified School District
Solving for SDG #2 (Zero Hunger) with a self-irrigating food grow center for underserved areas

The Grand Finale: TrailheaDX

At TrailheaDX, the winning teams will have the chance to pitch their projects to Salesforce executive judges Parker Harris and Ebony Frelix Beckwith, as well as Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, Susan Prescott during our Future Trailblazer Pitchfest theater session. The winning team selected by this panel of judges will receive a grant to help create a maker space in their school, but the fun doesn’t stop there. All of these teams will spend the remainder of the day in our Kids Coding Cabin where attendees will have the chance to hear the pitches up close and cast a vote for their favorite team. The team selected as the audience favorite will receive Kano computers — so make sure you stop by and vote!

Ready to get involved? Bookmark our Future Trailblazer Pitchfest theater session through Agenda Builder, and stop by the Kids Coding Cabin to cast your vote!