Silicon Valley Students Take On Steep Competition, World Problem

SAN JOSE, CA — When a team of Leland High School sophomores face off with other Silicon Valley students vying for first place in a two-day project competition starting Tuesday at Evergreen Valley College, there may be hope for a world heading into more challenging issues every day.

That's why project-based learning is so important to teachers like Annie Larks of Leland.

That's why institutes like NextFlex offer the FlexFactor program, a school-based initiative designed to have students solve real-life problems through hardware solutions and develop a viable business model focused on a target market. The goal of the FlexFactor is to create a generation of students who use their critical thinking and collaborative skills to create the materials and devices will help advance our world.

In Leland's case, these students chose to tackle climate change for its project undergoing a "final pitch" at the competition this week with a "Shark Tank"-like documentary that tracks burrowing owls and monitors noise pollution's effect on marine life. The idea funded through the Morgan Family Foundation fit in well with Larks' environmental science background.

Ninety students were involved. A dozen will present their final pitches. Larks couldn't be more proud.

"These kids could run a company," she told Patch. "They're talented and hard-working. I've told them that if they work hard, they can achieve what they want to."

And therein lies the difference between a mediocre teacher and a role model who inspires the next generation — a goal in line with NextFlex's mission.

NextFlex — America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute— was formed through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense as a consortium of companies, academic institutions and nonprofits as well as state, local and federal governments.

What started as a pilot program in San Jose with eight students in the fall of 2016 has expanded to more than 2,500 students.

Leland's whiz kids seemed to get a lot out of the program.

"Our experience with the FlexFactor program has been an educational and amazing opportunity. We were able to learn about environmental issues that affect our society, while also creating a business," said Leland High student Laurel Wu, a FlexFactor participant alongside Jordyn Serak and Jianna Wong. "We are feeling a bit nervous but excited to share our product and inform the judges about the importance of the burrowing owls."

Burrowing owls' population is crashing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Programs are in place to save the ground-based creatures hurt by lost habitat.

NextFlex and Evergreen Valley College of San Jose are also teaming up to put on the competition with partners Jabil and DuPont.

Students will present their product ideas developed over a four-week period and will represent the following Silicon Valley schools beyond Leland High:

• Willow Glen High School
• Gunderson High School
• Milpitas High School
• Santa Teresa High School
• Independence High School
• Lincoln High School
• San Jose High School
• Santa Clara High School
• Wilcox High School

More information about the organization and the program may be obtained here.