8 Schools Win Verizon Innovative App Challenge
Eight teams from. middle and high schools in the United States learned
today
they are national winners of the third annual Verizon
Innovative App Challenge.
The eight student teams, all of whom met the
challenge to
develop mobile applications that addressed specific problems in their
communities or schools, will receive:
This year's winners and their concepts are:
- Lime Kiln
Middle School, Fulton, MD — VolunteerMe provides information
about volunteer opportunities in the school or community;
- Tri-Tech
Skills Center, Kennewick, WA — Safe & Sound
offers teenagers ways to manage stress and depression;
- C.M.
Rice Middle School, Plano, TX — Mind Glass offers
students with dyslexia options for customizing text to make it easier
for them
to read and comprehend;
- Meyzeek
Middle School, Louisville, KY — Log 'N Learn addresses
the problem of unsafe and inexperienced driving among young drivers by
providing information about driver education;
- Cab
Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington, DE — VirDoc provides
a virtual cadaver for students to dissect and learn anatomy;
- Upper St.
Clair High School, Pittsburgh — A Look Inside allows
students to explore the inner workings of different inventions and
machines
through a virtual take-apart system;
- Shades
Valley High School, Irondale, AL — Vocal uses a
calendar and social media to help people find and volunteer for causes
they
want to support; and
- Kyrene
Aprende Middle School, Chandler, AZ — Endurvinna sets
up a competitive social media environment to encourage
sustainable and green
choices.
To see more about the teams' mobile apps, visit Verizon
Innovative App Challenge.
"We're particularly proud of the Best in Nation
winners, who
displayed some remarkable critical thinking and problem-solving skills
in
developing their app concepts," said Verizon Foundation Director of
Education
Programs Justina Nixon-Saintil. "I'm thrilled this contest has been able
to
challenge students to get out of their comfort zone and unleash their
potential
to succeed."
One of last year's app challenge-winning teams was
invited to
the annual White House Science Fair to demonstrate its Hello Navi app
to help
a blind classmate better navigate the halls of their school. A
first-year
winner's app was featured in Verizon's "Potential for Us" Black History
Month
national advertising campaign.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.