Anticipation was high for the fourth staging of the Crea+Her Girls in ICT Day Hackathon held last Friday, April 26, 2024, organised by STEAMHouse.

The event, held at the ATL Automotive MINI Showroom, showcased the participation of over 28 girls from high schools across the Caribbean.

Leveraging their digital technology prowess, the girls crafted innovative products, services, and solutions tackling contemporary challenges such as violence against women and disabilities awareness.

At the end of the event, the Immaculate Conception High School emerged as the first-place winner.

Dubbed Auto Farmer, Immaculate’s project is an app designed to revolutionise agriculture by incorporating cutting-edge technologies. Among its impressive features are drone monitoring, an AI-powered water system, and comprehensive crop yield analytics.

Rhenna Robinson, team captain, could hardly contain her excitement as she recounted the genesis of their project. She said: “It wasn’t easy coming up with our idea, and we pivoted a few times, but with the guidance of our facilitator we decided on an automated farming system that could benefit a wide range of people in the Caribbean.”

Bhagya Malladi, the teacher who mentored the girls, was equally overjoyed and expressed delight at the team’s triumph. “The girls put in hard work and excelled,” she said.

Herbert Morrison Technical High School secured second place, while The Queen’s School claimed the third spot. The event served as a platform for young women to demonstrate their potential and inspire future generations of female innovators.

Immaculate Conception High not only secured the top prize but also won the Digicel Foundation sponsored Impact Award. This additional honour recognises the app’s potential to foster innovation for social good.

The Crea+her Hackathon, a virtual competition spanning the Caribbean, attracted participants from various high schools eager to showcase their skills in STEM disciplines.