Montego Bay High wins hackathon for hurricane‑response app

Montego Bay High School for Girls emerged with top honours at an ICT Day hackathon on Thursday, earning praise for an artificial-intelligence application designed to strengthen hurricane response, months after Hurricane Melissa exposed weaknesses in emergency communication across western Jamaica.

The winning entry, Pulse-Rescue AI, was developed by six students from the school and took first place at the Girls in ICT Day AI and Climate Change Hackathon, focused on climate resilience and disaster preparedness. The AI-powered emergency response tool allows users to share their location instantly with first responders during hurricanes and severe storms, a feature judges described as both practical and potentially lifesaving.

Designed specifically for Jamaica’s hurricane realities, the application seeks to bridge critical delays in emergency response, particularly in moments when traditional communication channels fail. The project stood out for its focus on real-world conditions in parishes still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in western Jamaica on October 28 last year.

The hackathon brought together girls from secondary schools across western parishes, many of whom drew directly on their own experiences of the record Category-5 storm. Participants were challenged to design AI-driven solutions addressing the impact of hurricanes before, during and after extreme weather events, from early-warning systems and evacuation planning to emergency response and recovery.

Organised by STEMSpark Solutions and sponsored by Digicel Foundation, the event formed part of the global observance of International Girls in ICT Day 2026, held under the theme, ‘AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future’. It offered participants a hands-on introduction to artificial intelligence alongside mentoring and exposure to careers in the technology sector. Observed globally each year on the fourth Thursday in April and led by the International Telecommunication Union, Girls in ICT Day aims to encourage young women and girls to pursue studies and careers in information and communication technologies.

For Gabrianna Smith, a member of the Montego Bay High team, the experience extended beyond technical skills.

“Listening to the speakers share their experiences as women in ICT helped me to understand how a creative approach of a woman to a male-dominated field can transform if we work together. I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience. This opportunity showed me that AI is not just a short-cut tool, but something that can actually develop our ideas into something innovative and intentional,” Smith shared.

TIMELY INITIATIVE

Joy Clark, chair of the Digicel Foundation board, said the initiative was particularly timely given the increasing effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.

“This initiative is especially meaningful as our communities continue to feel the effects of climate change. By equipping girls with digital skills and exposing them to AI, we are empowering them to become problem-solvers and leaders who can help shape solutions for Jamaica’s future,” Clark said.

Dianne Plummer, engineer and director of STEMSpark Solutions, said these lived experiences shaped the direction of this year’s hackathon.

“Jamaica is still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, and with hurricane season just months away, this felt like the right moment to put that experience to work. These girls lived through it, they felt the fear, the disruption and the gaps in support firsthand. That lived experience is powerful. It means they are not just hypothesising solutions; they are designing answers to problems they have personally faced. My goal was to give them the tools, the space and the confidence to turn that experience into innovation,” Plummer said.

She added that the event reflects the aims of International Girls in ICT Day by reinforcing the importance of early exposure and inclusion.

“When girls are given the tools, guidance and space to innovate, they bring forward solutions that are creative, practical, and impactful. This hackathon is about showing them that they belong in these spaces.”