At CEEF, we want to empower students to change the world through STEM, and we need your help! We want to motivate and inspire students like these.
As part of a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, students from Denton, Texas came up with a solution for people displaced by a natural disaster.
Robert Garcia, from Denton Independent School District (ISD), and Charla Marchuk, from FEMA Region 6,
presented in person about a K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Collaboration, along with
two of Mr. Garcia’s students. Their interest lies in further integrating STEM and Geographical Information Systems
(GIS) into the practice of emergency management. Mr. Garcia’s students were initially involved in a project partnership with Samsung to create the Critical Adaptable Shelter for Assistance (CASA) de Samsung, a short-term shelter to be used in disaster relief. To create such shelter, they reached out to local meteorologists, the American Red Cross, FEMA, and an architect. Importantly, the students designed the shelter to fit the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for the elderly and disabled, who are often the most vulnerable after disasters.