A team of three students from The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship placed fifth in the statewide computer science competition, CSforGood, held on December 4 at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Six students from Lakeview Elementary School also represented the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) at the statewide competition.
The CSforGood challenge tasked students with creating a software application, website, physical computing device, or prototype to demonstrate how computer science could tackle real-world problems affecting their schools and communities.
The Academy student team developed an app prototype called Hoolio that allows teens to post job reviews to help other teens make informed employment decisions. Lakeview fifth grade students worked with IU professor Anne Leftwich to create a chatbot that uses generative AI to give advice on responsible decision-making, rooted in social and emotional learning.
At the Indiana Statehouse, students presented their work to judges, legislators, policy leaders, influencers and the tech community.
“I think the most rewarding part of the whole thing for me was actually getting the opportunity to go to the statehouse,” said Academy student Lucas Wiatrowski. “I’m incredibly proud of the work we accomplished and am infinitely grateful for the opportunity to be there in the first place.”
Following the competition, The Academy students also gave a presentation to Senator Shelli Yoder and MCCSC Superintendent Dr. Markay Winston to demonstrate their app prototype.
“I am continually impressed with our students’ innovation,” said Dr. Winston. “Students who participate in these types of competitions are an excellent example of the benefits of project-based learning. By working on projects they are interested in, students gain confidence and the ability to continuously improve on their ideas. These skills will serve them well in their futures and I look forward to seeing their next steps.”
Students at The Academy became involved in the competition as part of Joann Novak’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship class. While the three students on “Team Hoolio” advanced to the statewide competition, all students participated in the challenge.
“The big thing for any student in an entrepreneurial setting is the ability to step back and take feedback,” said Novak, business and computer science dual credit Instructor. “This particular team asked their peers about how they would use the app. They also worked with The Mill and had the opportunity to speak with a professional who does business mentoring to get additional ideas.”
Bram Boyd, The Mill program manager, helped The Academy students prepare for the final competition.
“I was excited to work with these students to refine their pitch,” said Boyd. “Supporting aspiring innovators like them is one of the most meaningful ways we can nurture future leaders and problem-solvers in our community. Their achievement is a testament to what young minds can accomplish with the right guidance and opportunities.”
Project-based learning ignites students’ creativity and leadership skills when they can work on a project that is personally meaningful to them.
“Time management was crucial during the course of this project. We needed to have things done by a certain time on a certain day and we did everything in our power to make sure everybody was doing their part and we got things done on time,” said Wiatrowski. “I was putting more pressure on myself because I’d never been to a state-level competition like that before and wanted to put forward my absolute best effort.”
“Working collaboratively with my group members, it gives me more experience for when I have a job one day or owning a business,” said Academy student Elwyn Vegeler. “It was a really fun project and it was great to experience something like that during high school. My group members were great people to work with on our app.”
This year is the second year that Kristen Publow, fifth grade teacher at Lakeview Elementary School, has participated in the CSforGood competition. In 2023, her students won first place in the fifth grade division for their “Friendship Finder” app to help new students make friends.
“This year, we’re doing a lot of social-emotional learning in class, so our chatbot project was directly connected to that,” said Publow. “Each week we have a different lesson on managing your emotions, for example, or how to show empathy. The kids act out scenarios, practice deep breathing, and we talk about self-talk.”
At Lakeview, students participate in a computer science team during the school day because not all students can participate after school. Publow emphasized the importance of making computer science opportunities available to all students.
“Computer science is so important because of the fast-moving pace of technology, and computer science will be a big part of our students’ futures,” said Publow. “I am extremely proud of the kids for their effort, and the creative designs they came up with.”
Participating in the statewide competition was more than an assignment for students. Novak said the “Team Hoolio” students are considering making some changes to their prototype and entering the upcoming Innovate WithIN competition.
“I’m really happy with the work we did and how far we’ve come, and I hope we get to keep doing this kind of work to better the lives of people our age,” said Wiatrowski.
