WATCH: Detroit Students Create Puberty App For Peers

DETROIT, MI — Three local Detroit high school students won the Lenovo Scholar Network Competition – an annual competition that awards 6 teams from underserved high school students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for developing the best mobile app that addresses their community’s needs.

At Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody, freshman Nakya Barbour, sophomore Jordan McClendon and senior Nala Barlow developed Human Nature: Puberty Edition, an app that they hope will help educate students about their changing bodies.

The idea came from the students’ realization that their classmates aren't comfortable with their bodies, and most of their parents don't feel comfortable talking to their kids about sexual health.

The app includes websites, tips, testimonials, or videos about every area of interest/type of change, and it can even assist parents in having "the talk" with their kids. The winners were announced this week and they will be recognized at NAF Next, an event in DC taking place on July 8-11.

The competition and app development program encourages greater interest among underserved high school students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) while providing them with the high-tech skills to succeed in the 21st century.

In this competition, teams of students from more than 100 NAF academies across the U.S. spent months developing mobile apps that will be of service in their classrooms and communities. The results every year are a testament to the students’ talent, innovation, and originality in applying their classroom-learning to solve a real-world issue.

“The mobile app competition is especially meaningful because the students use creative thinking to develop innovative solutions through their mobile apps to address challenges they experience in their communities,” said Matt Zielinski, president Lenovo North America. “We believe that can inspire them to pursue STEM studies and careers. Lenovo is proud to support NAF, and to help introduce students nationwide to critical skills in technology that will only grow in significance in the future.”

This year’s final six winning apps are:

Guardian Defense

• Cimarron-Memorial High School, Academy of Information Technology, Las Vegas, NV
• Created to save lives by preparing users for a variety of dangerous situations and working to make the world a safer place

Human Nature: Puberty Edition

• Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody, Detroit, MI
• Teaches students about their bodies and makes them feel comfortable while going through puberty

Klinik

• Emmett J. Conrad High School, Academy of Engineering, Dallas TX
• Provides users with a list of health, food, and educational resources close to their current location

Lace Up

• Cox Mill High School, Academy of Information Technology, Concord, NC
• Allows users to keep and track their pace throughout a run

Respirate

• Enloe High School, Academy of Health Sciences, Raleigh, NC
• Supplements Pulmonary Rehabilitation to provide a more accessible resource to those diagnosed with COPD and other respiratory diseases

SpeakEZ

• Lee County High School, Academy of Engineering, Sanford, NC
• Helps overcome fears and challenges that come with public speaking

Mobile App Competition Fan Favorite Voting Through July 10

A panel of more than 200 judges selected the six winners. Panelists included representatives from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), members of education and tech media, Lenovo leadership, and NAF corporate partners including Intel, Moody’s and Citi, as well as NAF alumni. The winning teams will present their apps at NAF’s annual teacher development conference, NAF Next 2018, in Washington DC, July 8-11.

“Fan Favorite” voting opens will be open through July 10. The winning team will also receive state-of-the-art technology, courtesy of Lenovo. Visit theLenovo Scholar Network site to view the top 6 and to vote.

To learn more about the Lenovo Scholar Network and follow along with students’ app creation journey, visit http://lenovoscholars.com/ or check out #LenovoScholars on social media. The 2018-19 school year will mark the fifth year of the Lenovo and NAF partnership and the Lenovo Scholar Network, with more than 6,000 students participating from NAF academies across the U.S.

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