15.10.2 final c bus-studenthack release - final kick off release 151001
1. For more information, contact:
Sarah Briggs, AT&T Public Affairs Sherry Mercurio, Franklin Public Relations
614-223-7641 614-947-6581
sb3642@att.com sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu
AT&T and Franklin University Announce the CBusStudentHack
Coding for Community: Health and Wellness Contest
12-week programming contest for central Ohio high school students which aims to
provide 21st century skills via computer science education
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 2, 2015 – AT&T* and Franklin University today announced the CBusStudentHack
Coding for Community: Health and Wellness – a 12-week programming contest for central Ohio area high
school students.
The CBusStudentHack seeks to provide Columbus area high school students 21st
century skills via
computer science education, prepare the students for college and career readiness, solve real world
problems and open the doors of opportunity and creativity. To accomplish this, teacher mentors have spent
time during the past month learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Touch Develop, the software that the
students will use to code and eventually develop their own apps. Teams of 2 to 4 students will participate
from the following central Ohio high schools: Gahanna Lincoln, Marburn Academy, Metro Early College,
Metro Institute of Technology, New Albany, Reynoldsburg Encore Academy, Reynoldsburg eSTEM
Academy, Upper Arlington and Whetstone.
Students met today at Franklin University to kick-off the CBusStudentHack and had the opportunity to
brainstorm project ideas, hear from community leaders like Rev 1 Ventures, and learn from keynote speaker
Chris Hamrick, founder of Columbus-based creative agency Basecraft.
Through the remainder of the 12-week period, the students will learn Touch Develop to create their apps.
The apps must be focused on improving health and wellness and will be judged on software quality, the
potential impact on the central Ohio region, execution and creativity. A team of central Ohio area leaders
will judge the students’ work, and winners will be announced at a finale event on December 11.
“AT&T's commitment to technology innovation and high school students in central Ohio grows out of our
company's $1.6 billion investment in our wireless and wireline networks between 2012 and 2014,” said
Adam Grzybicki, President, AT&T Ohio. “By encouraging students in Columbus to learn to code and explore