Albany Girls Win National Technovation Challenge

Last week, Sara Oremland shared this great news on the Albany High School email list:

Last night (May 3) at the Intel Headquarters in Santa Clara, Albany's team of Wendy Li, Siyao Ma, Denise Leung, Lisa Illes and Elena Prioreschi (Team Coffee Beans) beat out 10 other teams from around the country to win the Technovation Android App Challenge.

This summer they will receive assistance in developing their app, StudiCafe, for the Android app market. StudiCafe is an AP Science study app that incorporates a virtual world and social networking. Please congratulate the girls on their hard work and success!

MORE ON THE CHALLENGE

According to Technovation organizers, "StudiCafé will provide high school students with a tool that is a fun and effective way to study for an AP science class or test. StudiCafé includes a virtual world aspect that will help incorporate a social feature into the app. We know that we cannot program the virtual world due to our limited coding knowledge, although we know it is possible. The world of StudiCafé includes different AP Cafés that you can visit. After entering a café there will be 6 choices; visit other cafés, view statistics, take practice test, practice multiple choice, practice with flashcards, and take FRQ."

The challenge was created by Iridescent, a non-profit that provides STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education for underserved and underrepresented youth.

The San Jose Mercury News noted that the prize was worth an estimated $15,000, and will result in the winning team having their app developed for the Android market: "520 girls in four cities around the country teamed up with tech mentors to brainstorm ways to put smartphones to good use. Following a theme of 'science education,' the 100 apps were winnowed down in regional playoffs, and Thursday it was time for the cream to rise to the top."

The Merc said that women in computer sciences, programming and venture capital volunteered for 10 weeks "to help the girls build self-esteem while they fine-tuned their concepts."

See photographs from the event here on the San Jose Mercury News. 

In the lead-up to the national competition, Berkeley Lab hosted 10 meetings in which girls from Albany and Berkeley "learned to do market research, develop their apps and then come up with marketing pitches for Saturday's Pitch Day. Twenty-four lab staff members, including eight from Computing Sciences, served as mentors for the girls."

MORE ALBANY YOUNG WOMEN SHINED IN REGIONAL EVENT

According to Iridescent, another group of Albany High girls did well in a regional "pitch night" competition hosted at Berkeley's David Brower Center by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on April 28; the group, called "Infinity" came up with a product called BondBros, or “BOND: my chemical bromance.”

They described their pitch this way: "We know you’ve been slaving over that AP chemistry study guide. We know you want to take some time to play around a little with your bros. We know you may not be the biggest fan of ionic bonding. We want you to know that this can change. We want you to know that you can entertain yourself with Something You Learned at School. We know, because we made an app for it."

Tying for third place in the regional event, according to Berkeley Lab, were NapApp by Albany's Napsters and CramJam by Berkeley High's Team Harmony:

"The NapApp is targeted at students aged 14 to 27 who don't get enough sleep, which according to their research is about 90 percent of that group. The app would help users realize the importance of getting enough sleep, explain what happens in your body during sleep and even help you wind down as the evening gets later. The team is looking to partner with companies making decaf beverages and foods such as bananas, which contain tryptophane. Judge Madsen said they clearly identified a pressing need 'as everyone needs to find a better sleep pattern.'"

Two other groups from Albany competed in the event:

• Trackr by Albany's Team Enigma allows you to track work and break time, maintain focus, and increase productivity during both break and work time, even blocking access to social networking sites during work times to promote productive habits.
• Food Chain Frenzy by Albany's Pigs in a Blanket team is designed for elementary and middle school students to teach them about the food chain in a fun, interactive way, with varying levels based on how well you understand the subject.

Learn more here about how to compete in the Technovation Challenge.