DeTECHtives
Students | What is DeTECHtives?
Are you curious? Creative? Ready to solve problems?
Join DeTECHtives and become part of a team that uses technology, design, and innovation to tackle exciting challenges.
Work with friends to solve real world problems.
Explore tech tools and design thinking.
Build skills in teamwork, problem solving, and leadership.
Share your ideas in fun showcase events.
Staff | About DeTECHtives
DeTECHtives is a challenge-based instructional technology program for students in grades 4–8. The program gives students the opportunity to develop problem-solving, research, and collaboration skills while tackling authentic, real-world challenges. Using the design thinking process and a variety of technology tools, students work in teams to investigate local issues, brainstorm innovative solutions, and present their ideas in a “Shark Tank”-style showcase.
DeTECHtives empowers students to think critically, act creatively, and apply technology in meaningful ways. By working together on challenges connected to their schools and communities, students gain valuable 21st-century skills, preparing them for future academic and career pathways.
Program Facilitator
Amy Burdette
Participating Schools 2025-2026
PS #37 | Marva J. Daniel Futures Preparatory School
School Facilitator | Michelle Hall
PS #65 | Roosevelt ECC
School Facilitator | Michelle Hall
PS #76 | Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy
School Facilitator | Carmen Robles
PS #156 | Frederick Law Olmsted
School Facilitator | Mia Caccamise
PS #206 | South Park High School
School Facilitator | Heidi Gruber
This Year's Challenge 2025-2026:
DeTECHtives Mission Brief 2025-2026: AI for Change in Our Schools | How can AI help solve a real problem in our school community?
Every school has challenges—big or small—that affect students, teachers, or the community. This year, your mission as DeTECHtives is to become “AI Innovators”:
Investigate: Identify a real issue in your school that impacts learning, student well-being, communication, or the overall school experience.
Imagine with AI: Brainstorm ways that artificial intelligence (AI) could help solve or reduce the problem. Think about how AI can assist, not replace, people.
Invent a Prototype: Design a prototype of your AI-powered solution. This could be a mock-up of an app, a chatbot demo, a paper prototype, or a visual model that shows how the AI would work.
Inspire Others: Present your solution in the Innovation Arena to a panel of “Sharks” (judges). You’ll share:
The problem you identified
Why it matters
How your AI solution works
Your prototype
The positive impact it could have on your school
Innovation Arena | Spring 2025
This year marked the exciting debut of the DeTECHtives Program's Innovation Arena, where student teams from School 33, School 37, School 65, School 76, School 79, and School 156 stepped into the spotlight to showcase their creativity and problem-solving skill—centered around this year’s challenge—developing an innovative solution for how the district’s new IT Tech Van could best serve students and the greater Buffalo community—students engaged in collaborative research and design thinking to tackle a real-world problem.
Each team presented a compelling infographic and a functional prototype to a panel of community stakeholders known as the Innovation Council. The event highlighted the power of student voice and ingenuity, as participants confidently explained their design process, research findings, and the potential impact of their ideas. The inaugural Innovation Arena set a high bar for excellence and established DeTECHtives as a powerful program for student-led innovation in Buffalo Public Schools.