"How can we use AI in Education?" was the question and task of this year's industry project at Ada.  Our learners in Yr 12 and Yr 13 took on the role of consultants, supported and guided by 20 brilliant Salesforce Coaches. Day 1 kicked off with an inspiring brief by the Salesforce team - Jude Umeh, our Ada alumni and now Salesforce Apprentice Nicholas H. and Alastair Higginbottom. In the afternoon the 22 teams attended workshops on research, agile project management, fact-checking, ethical lead and delivery. 

On Day 2 the Ada campus was buzzing with entrepreneurial spirit: the learners continued their teamwork, refining their solution based on user testing. And the competition was stepping up: “Getting these first-hand industry insights and real-world business examples from our Salesforce coaches is brilliant. I’m learning so much - now I just want our team to win.” Ada learner, Yr 12

On Day 3 all 22 teams presented their AI solutions in practice pitches and the coaches had to assess how well the students had followed the brief, how well they all worked together, and how robust and relevant to Ada their proposed AI solution was? The selection was a tough challenge for the Salesforce team, but they selected 3 finalists teams who presented in the packed-out lecture theatre to the whole cohort. 

By 3pm the winners of the 2024 Salesforce Industry project were announced: the team around Project Manager Nayef, Yr.13! Their solution, way of working as a team and how they took the coaches’ advice on board secured them first place. 

Across all 22 teams, the collaboration between Yr 12 and 13 was outstanding; the focus with which all students worked over the 72 hours and the solutions they presented were remarkable. We are so proud of you! And a big thank you to the team at Salesforce who gave our learners their time, advice and valuable feedback!