HOUSTON - Booker T. Washington High School is a magnet pulling in young minds wired to engineer breakthroughs from all over Houston and way beyond.

Nearly 15,000 miles away, there is a new class growing in Karoi, Zimbabwe, where years of drought strains water sources, hot showers are a treat, generators power some classrooms and Rydings College sophomore Benhilda Mudiwapasi wants much more.

“I told myself if I do something very well, I have a place to live, a place to stay, a place to get more knowledge and enough education for myself,” she said.

Her class is part of a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) exchange with HISD. The program brought teens from Zimbabwe to Houston to work with Washington students. Together, they are designing and building wind turbines and water filtration systems that will help people in Zimbabwe.

“This is about developing a mindset in these children to be able to create something at the age of 14 years and for it to be able to change people’s lives, I believe, that is phenomenal,” said Jona Kondo, headmaster at Rydings College.

It is also helping Washington principal Dr. Carlos Phillips II motivate his students. Between trips to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Space Center Houston with the kids from Zimbabwe, Dr. Phillips' students are learning how to lead.

“How can my kids have a shift in thinking?” he asked. “How can we do something to make our campus (be) seen for the great things that we do? This is what we dream about.”

They celebrated over dinner Friday night. However, all insist it was just their program’s appetizer.

Washington students plan to continue working with their partners in Zimbabwe in November.

For more information go to http://www.khou.com