![Photo Credit: Project proposes to improve the educational quality of rural areas through the development of multiplatform software. [Photo Courtesy of the Adventist University of Peru]](https://cdn.adventistcontent.org/images/5df200974469ba078555eb4c/ba59d733500ba2fbe12e43c9c3c5b78bf3e1863b/1200x/EPq1606195056847.png)
Abel Sangama, Aldo Soraluz, Merling Ramírez, and Wilian Huamanttupa, students of the systems engineering professional career at the Universidad Peruana Unión (UPeU) , obtained first place in the IEEE HIP CHALLENGE with their Sumaq Yachay project; the project’s objective is to improve quality of educational in rural areas through the development of multiplatform software that will work both online and offline.
IEEE HIP CHALLENGE is a contest organized by Universidad del Pacífico in Peru, in coordination with the faculty of engineering and the Peru Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which seeks to encourage students to develop projects that impact economically and socially the most vulnerable populations.
Various Peruvian universities participated, including the Universidad Peruana Unión, represented by Sangama and Soraluz, students from the Tarapoto campus, and Ramírez and Huamanttupa, students from the Juliaca campus. They entered the contest under the name of InkaDevs.
During the presentation, Sangama explained to the jury that “the software is designed to emphasize and strengthen three critical pillars: reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and entrepreneurship, each of which are taught in the educational system of the town of Accha in Cuzco, Peru.”
The team was advised by engineer Dante Gómez, professor at the UPeU campus Juliaca, who provided the necessary advice and observations so that Sumaq Yachay could be among the top-ranked projects.
The presentation and support of the project among the participating universities lasted 10 minutes plus a 15-minute round of questions, where each team explained their project and how they would improve the situations and realities of vulnerable populations.
At the award ceremony, the team from Universidad Peruana Unión was named first place and winner.
"It was an indescribable moment," says Sangama.
Finally, after their recognition, the students presented the project to the Municipality of Accha, who received it positively and are already planning together with the Universidad Peruana Unión the execution of Sumaq Yachay to achieve an improvement in local education and a sustainable impact on rural education in Peru.
This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Spanish site