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Ford STEAM Lab hosted a hackathon for 100 middle school students to
introduce them to software development and skills needed to be high
tech entrepreneurs
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Students from Patrick Henry Middle School in Woodhaven, Mich., took
top honors, winning $15,000 for their school and $12,500 in
scholarships
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Ford and UAW extended to all student participants the opportunity to
continue their coding education at a week-long Henry Ford College
summer camp
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
DETROIT -- (Business Wire)
Given the chance to be software designers, 100 middle school students at
the Ford STEAM Lab Hackathon invented a range of mobile applications to
make learning easier, from catching up on missed assignments, to
studying math and music through gaming – all the while earning $42,500
in awards and scholarships.
The two-day event that wrapped up Saturday challenged students from five
middle schools in the Detroit metropolitan area to learn the basics of
software coding, and then produce, or “hack” an application to help them
in school.
“This event was designed to give students a voice in their education
while learning software coding skills needed to be technology
entrepreneurs,” said Shawn Wilson, manager, Multicultural Community
Engagement, Ford Motor Company Fund. “What students taught us is just as
valuable -- utilize existing technology, develop flexible schedules so
they can continue learning on their own time, and improve ways to
communicate outside the classroom.”
Ford is joining with the United Auto Workers union to enable all
students who participated in the Hackathon to attend free of charge a
summer software coding class offered by Henry Ford College. The one-week
long course will be held at the school’s Dearborn campus. During the
class, students will build their own Android apps from scratch and
experience how they are placed on the Google Play market.
Participating schools and the Hackathon results are:
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First Place – Patrick Henry Middle School, Woodhaven, Mich.
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App: Second School. What it does: Allows
students, parents, and teachers access to students' curriculum
away from the classroom, ability to track their school progress in
real time, and one-to-one communication between parents and
teachers.
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Winnings: $15,000 for the school and $2,500 scholarships to each
of the five team members to continue their education after high
school.
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Second Place – Clippert Academy, Detroit.
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App: Bookctionary. What it does: A
mobile reading assistance application focused on interactive
reading comprehension through quizzes, audio assistance, and eBook
downloads.
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Winnings: $7,500 for the school.
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Third Place – Simpson Middle School, Flat Rock, Mich.
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App: Stems Root Builder. What it
does: A learning application focused on keeping students up to
date with their course work when they are out of school.
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Winnings: $5,000 for the school.
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Fourth Place – Fisher Upper, Detroit
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App: Exstatic. What it does: An
app that combines learning music and math together through a
gaming and creative platform.
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Winnings: $2,500 for the school.
The event occurred at the Ford Resource and Engagement Center in
Detroit, where it was part of a live broadcast by MSNBC as part of its
Growing Hope series. After learning coding skills on the first day,
student ideas were judged by a panel that included Van Jones, #YesWeCode
founder, and environmental and civil rights advocate; Stephen Henderson,
Pulitzer Prize-winning Editorial Page Editor of the Detroit Free Press
and co-host of Detroit Today on WDET; and Joy Reid, national
correspondent, MSNBC.
Students also heard from Big Sean, a Detroit native who has become a
multiplatinum winning musician and founder of the Sean Anderson
Foundation. Big Sean took a break from his tour in Japan to speak via
Skype about the importance of technology and the role of the Internet in
future jobs. “I can honestly say the Internet really helped me become
the artist that I am today,” he said.
Ford STEAM Lab, an educational program from the Ford Motor Company Fund,
works to spark student passion for technology entrepreneurship and
careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). To produce
the hackathon Ford collaborated with:
- #YesWeCode, an Oakland, Calif.-based organization that targets
low-opportunity youth and provides them with the necessary resources
and tools to become world-class computer programmers.
- Level Playing Field Institute, an educational organization
based in Oakland, Calif., committed to eliminating the barriers faced
by underrepresented people of color in science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM).
- Sisters Code, a Detroit organization dedicated to helping women
succeed in STEM-related fields.
- Grand Circus, a company based in Detroit that provides training
and other skills necessary to work in technology companies.
- National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, a national
organization that works on strategies to increase the graduation rate
in America's schools.
Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company,
invests more than $8 million a year in scholarships and other education
initiatives. In addition to the Ford STEAM Lab, Ford Fund educational
programs include Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning,
Ford College Community Challenge and Ford Driving Dreams Tour.
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community
and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community
life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 65 years with
ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is
free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development
and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and
impaired driving.Innovation in education is encouraged through
Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning and other
inspiring programs that enhance high school learning and provide college
scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists
more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local
projects that strengthen their communities and improve people’s lives in
more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Contacts:
Ford Motor Company Fund
Todd Nissen, 313-322-4898
tnissen@ford.com
or
Campbell
Marketing and Communications
Melissa Bunker, 586-219-0094
mbunker@campbellmarketing.com
or
N’Touch
Communications
Lisa Wilmore, 313-980-4766
Lisa.wilmore@comcast.net
Source: Ford Motor Company
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