According to news3lv.com, the City of San Antonio’s Office of Innovation is seeking public input on what people think makes San Antonio a smart city. Emily Royall, San Antonio’s Smart City administrator says that it is about using technology to create real world solutions for real world problems. One of those solutions is teaching young girls about farming to help food security in the future as well as empower girls.
Mia Aceves, 9 and a student of SAISD’s all choice school Young Women’s Leadership Academy, holds her iPad and states, “you just have to like, press two buttons and like boom, you can water it already.” The academy is just for girls and is open to any student in Bexar County, from K-4th grade.
Due to a collaboration with COSA’s Office of Innovation, a smart farm was implemented in the school. Students are learning how to plant, water, and properly care for a garden using technology as guide, thanks to help from Gardopia Gardens. This is one example of integrating San Antonio into being a smart city, “essentially a community farm that’s laid with all kinds of sensors and technologies, so that these young women can learn skills like coding, but also practical skills like farming,” says Royall. She is hoping that more people across the city can get involved with making San Antonio a stronger and better smart city, while also helping young girls learn the importance and the science behind farming.
The Office of Innovation has implemented other pilot programs to test out technology as well, such as their street light pilot program. Sensors were put on street lights to help monitor the temperature, air quality and create a better energy source for the city’s utilities.
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