The Mayor's K-12 Smart City Challenge
Inspired by the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan
Message from Mayor Ron Nirenberg
Dear Neighbors,
​It has been my privilege over the last seven years, working with local non-profits, educators, and community leaders, to bring you SA Smart: The Mayor's K-12 Smart City Challenge. We've used the opportunities and challenges of our city as a platform for great K-12 education experiences.
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Building the City We Deserve requires that we dream big and face our challenges head on. With 1.1 million new residents expected to be living in the San Antonio area between 2018 and 2040, both the opportunities and challenges facing our city will grow. Thanks to the SA Tomorrow Plan, a blueprint for our city’s future, city leaders are growing our city responsibly and sustainably. The plan also offers an opportunity for us to educate and engage our K-12 students. What ideas do they have to help us tackle our future challenges?
During this year, my final one as your Mayor, the SA Smart Challenge will address Quality of Life, revisiting all prior SA Smart topics, and adding housing and mental health in response to ideas from our 2024 finalists. Students will learn science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) content through STEM and STEAM (STEM+Arts) experiences, and they may engage topics in entrepreneurship, civics and policy. They’ll learn how to critically analyze problems, work with mentors and peers, and communicate findings—all critical skills in the 21st century economy. It will be my privilege to award the winning teams in the middle and high school brackets the eighth Mayor’s Smart City Cup.
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The City We Deserve is one that encourages our children to learn, work, play and live in San Antonio. This program is one more step toward building that city, where today's students are tomorrow's future leaders! I encourage you to join us.
