FRESNO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO HONOR MENDOTA STUDENTS FOR WINNING NATIONAL AWARD FOR FENTANYL APP
FRESNO, CA – On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors will recognize the Mendota Junior High Math, Engineering, Science, and Achievement (MESA) team members for placing first overall in the 2023 MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition in New Mexico. The MESA team members include Gerardo Portillo, Anthony Trinidad, Jonathan Alfaro, and Jimmy Fuentes.
The Mendota Junior High MESA Team created an app called “FentaKNOW” which connects their community with resources to combat the fentanyl crisis. The app provides information in English and Spanish about the dangers of fentanyl, signs and symptoms of an overdose, local resources, and a direct call button for 911. The team’s creative design won the Regional Competition held in Oakland, California, the State Competition in San Diego, CA, as well as the National Competition in New Mexico, beating out 25,000 other students.
The MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition is an annual event that brings top middle and high school MESA teams from around the nation to showcase projects that address inequity. The theme of this year’s competition was Designing for Equity in Your Community, which encouraged students to find ways to minimize or eliminate barriers to opportunities within their communities.
DATE & TIME: 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 8, 2023
LOCATION: Fresno County Hall of Records, 2281 Tulare Street - 3rd Floor, Fresno, CA 93721