Xavier College Preparatory’s AP Computer Principles class participated in the Illuminate Challenge at Arizona State University on December 2, 2023. Two out of four Xavier’s groups placed in the top three in the competition.
The Illuminate Challenge focuses on the innovations from young, creative thinkers to develop an idea to help communities around them.
Seven teams competed overall. Xavier’s teams were Bucketeer, Ecoden, Resources of Tomorrow, and Happy Quokkas. Ecoden and Bucketeer moved on to the next competition.
A Xavier alumna, now a mechanical engineer, had reached out to Sister Joan Fitzgerald, in hopes that Xavier’s AP class would take part in the competition.
Leon Tynes, Xavier’s computer science department chair, helped his students prepare to solve complex problems by creating apps and equipment to solve a variety of issues.
“I just told them to be empathetic because part of the challenge was dealing with infrastructure. So can our solutions to these issues be used nationwide?” Tynes said.
A few of high achieving students at Xavier who are able to resolve problems were selected. As a team, they work together to better the future for everyone.
Each team focused on one specific issue concerning infrastructure and created a solution to help resolve the issue. Each team incorporated different parts into its projects. Teams made slideshow presentations, 10-minute speeches and finally introduced their ideas to the judges and the audience of the Illuminate Challenge.
“It’s not so much about inventing something, but really using the solution to help others,” said Tynes.
One competing team, Resources of Tomorrow, focused on making paratransit systems more efficient and accessible. Team members Grace de Souza, Julyza Guerrero-Torres and Bethelehem Tejeji created an app in hopes to change the issue.
One of the two winning groups, Ecoden, with Sophia Herget, Aku Baral, Anna Johndrow and Alexis Muirhead, focused on sustainable solar-powered tents for the homeless and designed solar-powered tents with closed-loop cooling systems, which amazed the competition.
The second winning group, Bucketeer, focused on the issue of composting. Team members worked to pursue a change through a compost cart with tubes that led to plants.
“We are all so passionate for a change. My team had this saying for our project: turning heat into hope,” Herget said.
The Xavier community is benefiting from Tynes’ guidance. He dedicates his time finding new opportunities for his students.
“I’m so grateful that Mr.Tynes encourages us to make a difference in our community,” said de Souza.
Xavier’s AP Computer Principles class performed well at the challenge. Two of its four teams will be moving on to the next competition.
