San Diego Jewish Academy 7th graders Meno Nassi and Gabriel Shuster won the Cadena Initiative USA Competition at the end of April and are invited to represent the U.S. June 1 at the Cadena Initiative International Contest in Colombia.
Meno and Gabriel presented their prototype, the “Floodictor,” to a of judges who selected the winners among other students from New York, Washington DC, and Miami. Their 3-minute, Shark Tank style presentation impressed the zoom room as they described the devastating effects of flooding in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans and how their project would aim to build a community response when flood waters reach critical levels, according to a news release.
“The success of our project would not have been possible without the many teachers who helped us with the production of our prototypes and taught us about CADENA,” said Meno in the news release.
“In our middle school we learn about the design process and how to create a product that’s executable. We learned how to test and revise,” added Gabriel in the news release. “Our project also related to Tikkun Olam and the importance of helping people in need, like those who are victims of floods.”
The CADENA Initiative is an international social entrepreneurship competition organized by CADENA, an international humanitarian nonprofit rooted in the Jewish principle of Tikkun Olam—repairing the world. This program is designed for students aged 13 to 16, providing them with the opportunity to develop innovative solutions to humanitarian crises or disasters affecting vulnerable communities. Participants employ a design thinking framework to conceptualize and implement their projects.
“We are extremely proud of Meno and Gabriel,” added Patrick Hagarman, Science and Technology Department chair at SDJA. “Their dedication and creativity reflect the values we try to instill in our students at SDJA, in the news release. These types of real-world experiences, filled with mentorship and learning, help shape and develop our community’s future leaders who positively influence their communities and beyond.”
