Karla Vargas and Mariana Andrade Delgado of Porterville High's Academy of Health Sciences earned Honorable Mention status of KnoPro’s “The Future of Health: Tech that Saves Lives” Challenge.
KnoPro’s latest Challenge, which ran from March 16 through April 19, asked high schoolers to explore how AI and other technologies can help people in the U.S. stay healthy, get better care faster, and understand their health better. The assignment was to create a product, business idea, or marketing campaign that uses technology to make health or healthcare better for more people, addressing the question: How can AI and other technologies be used to improve health and healthcare in the U.S.?
Vargas and Andrade Delgado designed an app, “Safe Fields” (Campos Seguros), that uses technology that allows field workers access to medical help with ease. The idea of the app is to input information, such as symptoms, to determine if an individual is experiencing distress.
In the event of an emergency, the app would prompt a request for urgent transportation, such as an ambulance, and include the ability to transfer medical information to the nearest hospital and proper medical experts. In addition, the app would alert the supervisor overseeing the field workers of the weather to plan breaks accordingly, remind the workers to take water breaks, a feature to change the language, and tips to know when to seek further medical attention.
Vargas' and Andrade Delgado's creative thinking inspires ideas to create innovative solutions that could make a difference," Porterville Unified School District stated. Although this is just an idea, it allows students like Vargas and Andrade Delgado to think outside the box and push the limits of innovation in the medical field.
KnoPro, a free web-based platform created by national education non-profit, NAF, enables high school students to gain work-based learning experience in a way like never before. In partnership with industry leaders and corporations, this interactive tool offers any high school student the chance to tackle real-world problems faced by business leaders, receive expert feedback from industry mentors, grow their professional skills and resumes – with the chance to win cash prizes. As a honorable mention selection Vargas and Andrade Delgado won $500.
“Seeing Karla and Mariana apply their Health Science Pathway learning to develop a solution that could support and protect agricultural workers is truly inspiring,” said Cynthia Brown, PUSD Director of Student Pathways. “Their creativity and focus on solving real-world challenges reflect the kind of innovation and purpose-driven learning we strive to foster through Pathways experiences and opportunities across Porterville Unified.”
NAF is a national education nonprofit that brings schools and businesses together to prepare students for college and careers.
NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including finance, hospitality and tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences; and support programs of study that are aligned with the National Career Clusters Framework. Learn more at naf.org and follow NAF on social @NAFCareerAcads.