Out of all the apps on your cell phone, how many can you say you actually designed?
It is not everyday that a group of students are able to create their own app, however this was made possible via the Verizon Innovative App challenge. Fourteen West Milford High School students competed in this challenge, going head to head against other high school teams for a $10,000 prize for their school.
The Verizon Foundation created an Innovative App challenge for middle school and high school students encouraging them to utilize their STEM knowledge to create apps. This contest began on December 1, 2012 and submissions were accepted up until January 18, 2013. The state winner is going to be announced on February 21, 2013 on the app challenge website-www.appchallenge.tsaweb.org/about/index/.html-.
Each team consisted of 5-10 students was required to have at least one adult faculty member who would act as the team adviser. For West Milford the advisers are Mr. Wagner and the supervisor of mathematics, Debra Gretina.
“The students just grabbed this and ran with it. It was exciting to see them take the lead. Students live in a world of technology [but] we need students to become the creators of their own technology to get them invested,” Gretina shared. “Mr. Wagner and I are extremely proud of the students and can testify that the process evolved in an excellent and collaborative manner.”
This challenge is an opportunity for students to use their creativity and cleverness. One group, named “Nature Network,” was challenged to create an app that would guide hikers through the trails of West Milford. Their App also offered information on a variety of different flowers and plants that would be found trail-side. The second group, “STEM the t [IDE],” had to design the best robot moves in a competition scenario.
West Milford High School was well represented with the 14 students taking part in the Verizon Innovated App Challenge. “I am so very proud of our students,” Principal Gorski said. “These Highlander have a keen understanding of their surrounding and seek to positively shape the experiences of those around town or build robots. Our students demonstrate the ability to, in the words of Steve Jobs: ‘Think different.’”
