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Harnessing AI and Open Data Analytics to Combat Social Inequities Among Adolescents
The outcomes of the National High School Big Data Challenge Program — a program that strengthens students’ problem-solving and computational thinking abilities in the real world.
2024
High School Big Data Challenge™
HSBDC offers an extracurricular, interdisciplinary, experiential learning program that strengthens students’ problem-solving and computational thinking abilities and introduces them to open science.
HSBDC™
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Program Statistics
Participants Grade
HSBDC
48.7%
participants are in grade 10 or less. Grades: 9 - 1.5%, 10 - 12.3%, 11 - 50.8%, 12 - 34.9%
90.38%
checkpoint 1 submission
86.54%
checkpoint 2 submission
Locations
HSBDC
9/10
schools are from Canada. 56% - Eastern Canada, 43% - Western Canada, 1% - Flekke, Norway
Culminating Events
Canada West
Canada East
Location
Finalists’ Research
Winner
Judges
Guests/Dignitaries
Western Canada Finals
Calgary, AB, January 31, 2025
University of Calgary Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking
Three people working on laptops and tablets at a long table in a modern workspace with a mural featuring words like imagination, leadership, and culture on the wall behind them.
Investigating the Influence of Poverty on High School Graduation Rates: An Analysis of the Impact of Socioeconomic Inequities on Adolescents
Arnav Sinha, Harper Yang, Justin Nguyen, Lucien Lin, and Richard Gao
Manuscript
Video Submission
Defining the Effects of Legislation and Political Attitudes on K-12 School Shootings: 2010-2022
Robert Lin, James Mar, Vanessa Wang, Elaine Wang, and Jordan Chen
Manuscript
Video Submission
Predicting Opioid Use Disorders in the U.S. Using Machine Learning Among Adolescents Receiving Mental Health Services
C. Rong, Akshat Mathur, Sanjay A Jaganmohan
Manuscript
Video Submission
Impact of Health Inequality on Adolescent Fertility Rate and Abortion Rate
Riley Jin, Ella Zhang, and Sophia Na
Manuscript
Video Submission
Winners
Winners of Canada’s National Big Data and AI Challenge
Investigating the Influence of Poverty on High School Graduation Rates: An Analysis of the Impact of Socioeconomic Inequities on Adolescents
Arnav Sinha, Harper Yang, Justin Nguyen, Lucien Lin, and Richard Gao
Manuscript
Video Submission
Defining the Effects of Legislation and Political Attitudes on K-12 School Shootings: 2010-2022
Robert Lin, James Mar, Vanessa Wang, Elaine Wang, and Jordan Chen
Manuscript
Video Submission
Shreya Patel
Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft
LinkedIn Icon
Vivek Saahil
Manager – Strategic Business Analysis, Planning & Support, Pratt & Whitney Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Stephanie Bach
Vice President, Strategy and Policy, Diplomat Consulting
LinkedIn Icon
Aditya Nittala
PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary
LinkedIn Icon
Wally Eng
Senior Solution Consultant at UKG
LinkedIn Icon
Claire Ephestion
Business Development Manager Networking Academy Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Ashkan Ebadi
Ph.D., SMIEEE, Senior Research Officer, Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Andrea Yzeiri
MMA, Chief Data & Analytics Officer and Lead AI Engineer, Picsume
LinkedIn Icon
Vivek Saahil
Manager – Strategic Business Analysis, Planning & Support, Pratt & Whitney Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Noor Lalani
MBA, Customer Success Account Manager, Microsoft
LinkedIn Icon
Special Guests
Provides expertise and fosters connections with government academia, and industry to guide initiatives.
Edith Dumont
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
LinkedIn Icon
Salma Lakhani
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Joel Martin
NRC’s Chief Digital Research Officer and Chief Science Officer
LinkedIn Icon
Joanne Pitman
Chief Superintendent, The Calgary Board of Education
LinkedIn Icon
David Lapides
Vice President, Programs, Let’s Talk Science
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Bonnie Schmidt
CM, FRSC, Founding President, Let’s Talk Science
LinkedIn Icon
Nathalie Rudner
OCT, Executive Director, Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Daniel Gruner
CTO, SciNet, UofT
LinkedIn Icon
Lachmi Singh
PhD, MEd, LL.B, BA, Director, Academic Programs, Planning & Quality Assurance, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, University of Toronto
LinkedIn Icon
Sonia Sennik
MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Creative Destruction Lab
LinkedIn Icon
Location
Finalists’ Research
Winner
Judges
Guests/Dignitaries
eastern Canada Finals
Toronto, ON, February 7, 2025
Microsoft Canada Headquarters
Three people working on laptops and tablets at a long table in a modern workspace with a mural featuring words like imagination, leadership, and culture on the wall behind them.
Predicting Socioeconomic Disparities Among Adolescents: A Spatial and Computational Analysis of Urban Design Factors
Roshan Iruku, Gurshaan Dhillon, Gurnoor Kaur, Kavangun Kalra, and Rohith Iruku
Manuscript
Video Submission
Winners
Winners of Canada’s National Big Data and AI Challenge
Predicting Socioeconomic Disparities Among Adolescents: A Spatial and Computational Analysis of Urban Design Factors
Roshan Iruku, Gurshaan Dhillon, Gurnoor Kaur, Kavangun Kalra, and Rohith Iruku
Manuscript
Video Submission
Shreya Patel
Cloud Solution Architect, Microsoft
LinkedIn Icon
Vivek Saahil
Manager – Strategic Business Analysis, Planning & Support, Pratt & Whitney Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Stephanie Bach
Vice President, Strategy and Policy, Diplomat Consulting
LinkedIn Icon
Aditya Nittala
PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary
LinkedIn Icon
Wally Eng
Senior Solution Consultant at UKG
LinkedIn Icon
Claire Ephestion
Business Development Manager Networking Academy Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Ashkan Ebadi
Ph.D., SMIEEE, Senior Research Officer, Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Andrea Yzeiri
MMA, Chief Data & Analytics Officer and Lead AI Engineer, Picsume
LinkedIn Icon
Vivek Saahil
Manager – Strategic Business Analysis, Planning & Support, Pratt & Whitney Canada
LinkedIn Icon
Noor Lalani
MBA, Customer Success Account Manager, Microsoft
LinkedIn Icon
Special Guests
Provides expertise and fosters connections with government academia, and industry to guide initiatives.
Edith Dumont
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
LinkedIn Icon
Salma Lakhani
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Joel Martin
NRC’s Chief Digital Research Officer and Chief Science Officer
LinkedIn Icon
Joanne Pitman
Chief Superintendent, The Calgary Board of Education
LinkedIn Icon
David Lapides
Vice President, Programs, Let’s Talk Science
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Bonnie Schmidt
CM, FRSC, Founding President, Let’s Talk Science
LinkedIn Icon
Nathalie Rudner
OCT, Executive Director, Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario
LinkedIn Icon
Dr. Daniel Gruner
CTO, SciNet, UofT
LinkedIn Icon
Lachmi Singh
PhD, MEd, LL.B, BA, Director, Academic Programs, Planning & Quality Assurance, Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, University of Toronto
LinkedIn Icon
Sonia Sennik
MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Creative Destruction Lab
LinkedIn Icon
Highlights
Photo & video feedback of the participants
CTVNews | Calgary high school students compete in finals of national AI challenge
Ten teams from across the country competed at the University of Calgary Friday for the 2025 National High School Big Data and AI Challenge Finals, with projects aimed at tackling serious problems including youth suicides, teen drug use, and school shootings.
Read More
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Previous Project
HSBDC
2025
Leveraging Big Data and AI to Strengthen Food Security and Promote Sustainable Agriculture
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HSBDC
2024
Harnessing AI and Open Data Analytics to Combat Social Inequities Among Adolescents
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HSBDC
2023
Leveraging Generative AI and Data Cybersecurity to Conserve and Foster Local Biodiversity
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HSBDC
2022
Fair Housing: a Blueprint for Equity in Life, Work and Play
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HSBDC
2021
Cleaner Energy at the Individual and Community Levels
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HSBDC
2020
Using the Power of Open Data to Learn: Paving the Path to True Equality and Equal Access in Education
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HSBDC
2019
New Climate and Information Realities: From Oceans to Glass of Water
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HSBDC
2018
Sustainability: Think Global and Act Local with Big Data
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