Harrison High School Enters Three Teams in Verizon App Challenge

For the first time ever, the Harrison High School IB Technology class entered three teams in the annual Verizon App Challenge this year. The Verizon App Challenge seeks to bring middle school or high school teams of five to seven students together by using STEM skills, knowledge, ingenuity and creativity to develop and submit an original mobile app concept that addresses a real need or problem in their school or community.

Students brainstorm about ideas and research their concepts to ensure that the idea has not already been produced. The Harrison student teams were brought together by a shared interest, an extracurricular activity, or a strong community identity. The teams submitted their design concepts online through a three-minute video and an essay.

This year’s Harrison High School Verizon App Challenge submissions were diverse in their offerings.

Foodiegram – a mobile app designed to combine the ever growing diversity of eating needs. The app incorporates an individual’s food profile (like and dislikes and any dietary parameters), food picture-sharing ability, and a search element to learn more about the types of food needed, information about the content of the food, and where to purchase said items.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZXoGtK_5xg

Members of the Foodiegram team are: Hamza Hamid, William Kim, Elisa Pettinato, and Oscar Terrana

Heroes United – a mobile app designed to connect veterans, military personnel, firefighters, police, EMT personnel, and all first responders in their area and across the country. The app encourages these heroes to share their experiences either publically or privately via the app and allows others to “like” their stories and follow them. Harvard Medical School has conducted a study that shows writing or posting about experiences helps to relieve stress. The app would also allow for these men and women to learn about events in their communities that honor their service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN595AF9BEs

Members of the Heroes United team are: Brian Barry, Connor Gates, Vito Gonnella, Thomas Gresham, Elijah Haribaran, and Christopher Whitson

Pet Me – a mobile app designed to connect animal loving individuals who are looking to adopt, foster or play with a pet or volunteer at their local animal shelter. The app allows the user to decide what level of involvement they are comfortable with and find a shelter nearest to them by using the paw print drop down menu in the upper left hand corner. Once connected with their shelter, the app allows the user to view the profile of individual animals, decide what action to take, or swipe left to view the next animal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmC_c0wvFrw&feature=youtu.be

Members of the Pet Me team are: Julia DiRusso, Vanessa Gordon, James Jacobson, Steven Maldonado, Baxter Martin, and Tyler Neese