Four Birmingham City Schools recently competed in the ALTEC Innovation challenge in which students presented innovative solutions to community issues such as homelessness and hunger.

Ramsay High School Engineering Academy came out on top, winning $10,000 in the Nov 14 competition with their hydroponic growing system. Others in the top four were Southampton K-8, Wilkinson Middle School, and Huffman High School.

Sydnee Allen, a Ramsay High School junior, explained what the engineering academy intended to do with their project and the money they won.

“We plan to implement hydroponic growing systems at our school to assist with food insecurity. We’re growing crops like fruits and vegetables, tomatoes carrots, kale, lettuce, green spinach all types things,” Allen says

Ramsay’s engineering team intends to begin building their hydroponic growing system next spring. The scholars were challenged to incorporate ideas from STEM (science, technology engineering, and mathematics).

Among the other projects in the competition, South Hampton students focused on technology and developed an app called “Zenzen” which is designed to combat mental illnesses. The app will track people’s moods, provide resources based on the user’s zip code, and provide music therapy and students at the school hope to raise money for it.

Daja Isom, a student at South Hampton says she wants to put it on all Birmingham City School devices. “We have planned to help people that went through depression or anything else or they just feel like they didn’t feel love.”

The proposals or prototypes were presented to a panel of eight judges from public and private sectors, who determine the winner of the $10,000 reward, according to a statement from Birmingha City Schools.