Lenovo Scholar Network Grows to 30 Schools
Lenovo
and the National Academy
Foundation are tripling the
number of institutions involved in its Lenovo Scholar Network program.
Jumping from 10 schools in last year's inaugural
program, this
year students from 30 high schools around the United States will use
free Lenovo
ThinkPad laptops and Yoga tablets to develop new mobile apps.
While last year's program involved about 400 students
around
the country, this year more than 1,000 will participate in coding,
testing and
developing their own apps.
The program intended to encourage the next generation
of
developers and entrepreneurs will also offer students access to Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Media Lab’s App Inventor, a Web-based tool
that allows
them to create and test Android apps. For the first time this year,
teachers
will get self-guided courses on App Inventor, in-person training and the
ability to consult with MIT staff members.
At the end of the school year, all participants will
be
offered the opportunity to participate in a national competition for the
best
app. Last year, 20 apps were submitted and five finalists attended the
NAF Next
conference in Anaheim, CA, in July.
All the teams were from career-themed academies that are part of a
National Academy Foundation
(NAF) network of institutions designed to provide opportunities for
underserved
high school students. The five winning teams developed apps designed to
do
everything from improve student study habits to help school nurses
communicate
better with parents of diabetic students. The winning app was WHS Bowling from the Washington
High
School of Information Technology in Milwaukee, which designed a game that
serves as a platform to promote positive messages and behaviors for
teenagers.
"We are
excited to enable this new class of scholars with the technology and
skills
they need to help them become the next generation of developers and
innovators,"
said Lenovo North America Vice President of Public Sector Jason
Mooneyham.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.