DCPS Students from McKinley Tech Win $5,000 for Their School

A group of DCPS high school students from McKinley Tech have been named “Best in State” winners in the fourth Verizon Innovative App Challenge for their mobile app concept, GFire, which aims to enhance family safety in the event of house fires or gas leaks.

The winning app idea was inspired by one of the student developers whose aunt and family were victims of a house fire. The GFire app concept is among more than 1,200 entries received in the nationwide contest, and one of 92 student teams to win “Best in State” and earn a $5,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation for their school, as well as tablets for each team member. In total, Verizon awarded $460,000 in prizes and more than 550 tablets to this year’s 92 “Best in State” winners.

In addition to winning “Best in State,” the McKinley Tech team is in the running to earn one of eight “Best in Nation” awards to be announced Feb. 2 as well as being voted the App Challenge “Fan Favorite.” Prizes for these national awards include an additional $15,000 for the students’ school or club, the chance to build their concepts into working apps with MIT Media Lab experts, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the TSA Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in June 2016.

Starting today through January 31, 2016, anyone can vote to help the McKinley Tech team win the “Fan Favorite” award, a new feature in four-year-old App Challenge, which allows the public to choose a national winner and show support for students’ innovation, passion and entrepreneurial spirit in developing app concepts that address societal issues.

To vote for the McKinley Tech team’s GFire app as the Fan Favorite, text GFIRE2 to 22333 by January 31, 2016. For the full list of teams eligible for the App Challenge Fan Favorite award, visit http://appchallenge.tsaweb.org/vote. Voting is free and standard texting rates apply, according to your service plan.

About the Innovative App Challenge

Created in partnership with the Technology Student Association, and presented in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, the Verizon Innovative App Challenge is a no-coding-skills-required national app design competition that encourages students to come up with ideas for mobile apps that could solve a problem in their schools or communities. The App Challenge offers a unique, hands-on learning experience and aims to spark greater student interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), as early as middle school.

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