Solena Ornelas Pagnucci, Olivia Kenoun, and Aizah Ahmad present their Protect Me app at Apple’s showcase.
Praised by multiple instructors as among the best students they’ve ever taught, DPI’s Digital Scholars wrapped up their summer with a flourish.
Why it matters
The program, part of DPI’s Pritzker Tech Talent Labs, gives high school students and incoming college freshmen a chance to take college-level courses in one of four tracks: computer science and coding, data science, electrical and computer engineering, and Swift/mobile app development. Along the way, they took field trips, learned about careers in tech, and made friendships.
First citywide showcase
After the 115 scholars presented their final projects at a gallery walk the morning of August 1, a team from DPI’s iOS App Design and Development course presented their work at One Summer Chicago’s Everyone Can (Code + Create) Chicago Showcase at the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue. Aiza Ahmad, Olivia Kenoun, and Solena Ornelas Pagnucci were the first team in DPI’s history invited to present at the annual showcase.
In response to the challenge to develop an app that would solve a real-world problem, Aiza, Olivia, and Solena developed Protect Me, a safety app especially for women and teenagers. Their classmates water-taxied over from DPI headquarters to cheer them on.
Standouts
The Protect Me team was recognized as the standout capstone project in app design at Digital Scholars’ closing ceremonies August 2 at Google Chicago. Each program recognized a capstone project and a standout scholar:
- “Trend between Police Action and Trust,” Chinasa Nwosu and Catherine Xu, capstone project, Data Science
- Sanjana Kambhampati, standout scholar, Data Science
- “Recon Crawler,” Hunter Gilliam and Arthur Kuryvo, capstone project, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Melania Herrera, standout scholar, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- “Java Hangman,” Martel Bellamy, capstone project, Foundations of Computer Science and Coding
- Sasha Borushek, standout scholar, Foundations of Computer Science and Coding
- Miguel Garcia, standout scholar, iOS App Design and Development
Teachers as students
This year, for the first time four high school teachers learned alongside the students: two in data science, one in computer science and coding, and one in app design. These teachers will be able to present and build on what they’ve learned in their own classes this year.
Thank you!
In addition to micro-credential badges, most students received a stipend for their participation through a partnership with the Department of Family & Support Services and One Summer Chicago. Digital Scholars is run in partnership with UIUC LAS, UIUC Grainger College of Engineering and UIC CHANCE. Lead funders include Apple, Amazon Web Services and Synchrony Foundation.
Left image: Melissa Yu presents her robot, Sonic Glow, at the Gallery Walk. Right Image: Students check out their classmates’ projects at the Gallery Walk.
Chinasa Nwosu and Catherine Xu present their data science project at Digital Scholars’ closing cermony.
Author: Jeanie Chung