CLEVELAND — In Cleveland's first time hosing "Hackathon", a Northeast Ohio team took home first place at this year's competition!
A couple of weeks ago, 3News told you about Hackathon - a statewide competition where students build mobile apps that help solve real-world problems.
There were 2 Hackathons going on simultaneously – one in Columbus and one in Cleveland at Tri-C Eastern. More than 75 high school students participated in the statewide competition.
They spent an entire Saturday learning how to build a mobile app from scratch that addresses an actual problem in their community. They then present the app to tech-savvy judges.
This year’s winning team was made up of 8 students from Cleveland, Lorain and Warrensville Heights schools. They named themselves the “Decepticons”. They designed an app called Recyccofact that can prevent ocean pollution and animals from becoming endangered.
Users discover the effects of plastic pollution on the environment through educational facts. This was just one of several impressive submissions this year.
"Students really had the flexibility to decide what community meant to them, and we were just blown away by how the students saw how technology can be used to really support and empower their community," says TECH CORPS National Executive Director Lisa Chambers.
Other apps created this year not only addressed the environment, but also education and mental health. One team designed an app that provides users with emotional, physical and social support.
The winning team was judged on its app’s functionality, design and relevance, as well as overall presentation. KeyBank and CoverMyMeds helped TECH CORPS put on this year’s Hackathon, which awarded each team member $200. The team will also be recognized at the Ohio Statehouse on December 7th during Computer Science Education Week.
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