Starting in Fall 2021 and culminating in Spring 2022, The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego launched the Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge #JTIC22, our third annual event. This worldwide event supported educators and teenagers in developing social good solutions aligned to the UN Global Goals. The competition began with:

• 120+ educators
• 3100+ students
• 15 countries
• 30 US states

Team: JUST A STRAW

A portable straw that can be hung around your neck or clipped onto your bag for easy on-the-go travel. It can be placed in any body of water and will travel through our filter system to make it drinkable clean water! If you do not want to drink the water at that moment, you can store it with our retractable 16 oz cup!

Created by a team of two 10th grade boys and one 12th grade girl from Palmer Trinity School in Miami, FL and supported by educator Susy Chu.

The team and the educator have chosen to donate their $1000 first place prize to Water Aid.

Team: Gender Equality 2.0

They developed a pepper spray, emergency response device that helps women feel safer in scary situation

Created by a team of three 9th grade girls from Kearny BST in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Jennifer Ogo.

The team and the educator have chosen to donate their $750 second place prize to Equality Now.

Team: Bagasse Bros

The solution created by this team addresses climate change and attitudes about climate In the process of refining sugarcane, bagasse will always be an abundant by-product that doesn’t have many uses. In an effort to create a new biofuel, we have created a system to burn bagasse, which in turn creates energy in the form of steam/heat, and another byproduct called fly-ash. The fly-ash can then be used in the strengthening of structures like brick and concrete. It’s an efficient system that creates two sources out of one process.

Created by a team of two 12th grade boys from Schools of the Sacred Heart in Lafayette, LA and supported by educator Roxanne Guillory.

The team and the educator have chosen to donate their $500 third place prize to Forest Stewardship Council.

Team: ReachOut

ReachOut is a mobile app available on Google Play and the Apple store that provides teens with opportunities to serve, lead, and grow by connecting youth led organizations with teens looking to expand their technical experiences.

Created by an 11th grade Asian girl from Toys2Care in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Arsira Taweesub.

The team and the educator have chosen to donate their $250 fourth place prize to Room to Read.

Team: Mana

A biodegradable mask made from pineapples.

Created by a team of 12th and 11th grade Japanese girls from Sacred Heart Middle and High School, Tokyo in Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan and supported by educator Michael Doyle.

The team and the educator have chosen to donate their $250 fifth place prize to Ocean Conservancy.

Team: D.A.N.T.E’s Project

A trashcan that can self-identify and sort trashes (e.g. recyclables from non-recyclables)

Created by a team of 10th graders (two Filipino girls, one Caucasian/Filipino girl, and one Hispanic boy) from e3 Civic High in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Wootark Kim.

The team and the educator have chosen to donate their $500 photonics innovation award to Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production. This award is sponsored by DRS Daylight Solutions.

Team: Kearny EID 2022

The solution created by this team allows families to sanitize the water that they collect from An affordable, sustainable, and dynamic power generation system that can grant people access to electricity. It has a modular and scalable design, it’s compact and easy to ship, it’s inexpensive, reliable, and environmentally friendly.

Created by a team of 9th grade boys from Kearny EID in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Daina Weber.

The team and the educator have chosen to donate their $500 photonics innovation award to GivePower. This award is sponsored by DRS Daylight Solutions.

• Automated Water Testing Lab – Created by team Jacob Innovation Teen Challenge CCA Team from Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Dvora Celniker (Global Goal 14 – Life Below Water)
• DANTE – Created by team D.A.N.T.E’s Project from e3 Civic High in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Wootark Kim (Global Goal 12 – Responsible Production and Consumption)
• Dear Earth – Created by team Dear Earth from Peter Carnley ACS in Wellard, WA, Australia and supported by educator Kim Flintoff (Global Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation)
• DyslexiTest – Created by team DyslexiTest from Element Education in Escondido, CA and supported by educator Catherine Drown (Global Goal 4 – Quality Education)
• FemFairy – Where the safety is always in your hands – Created by team The Parities Fairies from STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, CO and supported by educator Simi Basu (Global Goal 5 – Gender Equality)
• Filtrum – Created by team Sentiunt from Kearny BST in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Jennifer Ogo (Global Goal 13 – Climate Action)
• Foliage Farms – Created by team Hunger Helpers from Kearny BST in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Daina Weber (Global Goal 2 – Zero Hunger)
• Good Health and Well Being – Created by team Just Luminescent from Iron County School District in Cedar City, Utah and supported by educator Jessica Michael (Global Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being)
• Invento – Created by team SoSar from Mount View Middle School in Marriottsville, MD and supported by educator Susan Mako (Global Goal 12 – Responsible Production and Consumption)
• IOT Mask – Created by team IOT Mask from in Banglore, Karnataka, India and supported by educator Shilpa N (Global Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being)
• Pain drops – Created by team Meraki from Colegio Santa Francisca Romana in Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia and supported by educators Catalina Largacha and Juan Ramón Gonzalez (Global Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being)
• PURE Emergency ‘s Project – Created by team PURE Emergency from People for Urban And Rural Education in St Johns , FL and supported by educator Shyla Talluri (Global Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities)
• PVSea Cleaners – Created by team PVSea from Mira Mesa High School in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Meena Nandakumar (Global Goal 14 – Life Below Water)
• Sana: The Rehabilitating Robot – Created by team The Well-Being Warriors from Kearny BST in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Daina Weber (Global Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being)
• Seamless – Created by team Seamless from Schools of the Sacred Heart in Lafayette, LA and supported by educator Roxanne Guillory (Global Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being)
• SmartPick – Created by team South Fayette High School from South Fayette Township HS in McDonald, PA and supported by educator James Hausman (Global Goal 12 – Responsible Production and Consumption)
• Study Partners – Created by team Study Partners from San Diego High School in San Diego, CA and supported by educator Elena Brisard (Global Goal 5 – Gender Equality)
• Swarm Silencer – Created by team Swarm Silencer from NorthStar Academy in Southaven, MS and supported by educator Katie Ahmadzai (Global Goal 2 – Zero Hunger)
• The Rollec – Created by team The Rollec from All Saints High School/Ottawa Catholic School Board in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and supported by educator Justin Breton (Global Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities)
• URO – Created by team Bellha from Colegio Santa Francisca Romana in Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia and supported by educators Catalina Largacha and Juan Ramón Gonzalez (Global Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being)

Our work is supported by the generosity of Dr. Irwin and Mrs. Joan Jacobs. You can become a sponsor of our work too! Every gift we receive will support our effort to build a better world.