Students around the world are faced with educational uncertainties now more than ever, since the outbreak of COVID-19. While many classrooms have gone virtual, a number of students have been left out as they are only able to expand their education by physically attending their schools.

This issue resonated deeply with the Dreamers, a group of four high school students who participated in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow from Colombia. The students conducted internal research and started developing a solution to the problem.

Turning school into a network system

According to a survey conducted in their community, the Dreamers identified that among students who have devices that can be connected to the Internet, 41% do not have access to the web. The students’ goal was to give those without Internet connectivity access to educational content and real-time interaction with classmates through a free independent network.

“We started developing a mixed network and named it Themis. The network is made up of a computer that acts as a server, a series of network protocols and specialized software, and a system of antennas,” said the team. “In other words, Themis would turn the school into a large antenna with enough capacity to deliver high-quality educational content to students living within one kilometer of the school.”

Knowledge and team spirit bring positive changes

The Themis prototype has shown good results. The educational content could be transferred through the server to homes without the internet at a stable speed.

“Making an idea come to life required us to learn new technologies and skills, but above all we learned the most from our hands-on experience and mistakes,” said the team. “Working closely as a team, sharing different perspectives and pulling together our STEM skills, we could dig deeper to find the best solution.“

The Dreamers will continue to work on solutions to reduce inequality and the educational gap amongst students, with the hope that these initiatives will be brought to life. The team said, “We hope that this prototype can evolve and consolidate as a real model that enhances the younger generation’s access to education and promotes their professional development.”