A+: St. Edward Students Hold Virtual Makeathon to Solve Real-World Problems00000184-9c00-d6f8-a1cf-be04e1860000
Our NewsDepth A+ winners prove that it isn't just business solving pandemic problems! A group of students at St. Edward High School in Lakewood put their entrepreneurial mindsets to good use too.
Before Ohio schools closed for the year, the school was supposed to have a day where students, staff, and alumni participated in a hackathon and brainstormed solutions to mental health problems. A hackathon is a timed event when computer programmers and designers collaborate to solve a problem.
The coronavirus delayed that plan, so students decided to hold a two-week "makeathon" focused on finding solutions to the pandemic instead.
Senior Coleman Isner is one of the organizers of the makeathon.
"I wanted to have this makeathon to help students cope with the changes around us, question the challenges we're facing in a productive manner, and develop effective solutions," he said. "I also hoped that the makeathon itself would help us strengthen our community's solidarity."
From there, Isner and other students got their friends on board.
"I decided this could be a fun activity to do over break and signed right up," said senior Logan Sindone.
The students met via Zoom using webcams. Some of the topics they focused on include easing mental health problems, helping small businesses, and assisting the elderly. Many of the ideas involve apps and other digital tools.
Senior Joey Zacharyasz said his idea is about keeping relationships and connections during this time of distancing.
"Inspired by the recent passing of the legendary St. Edward teacher Mr. James Wallenhorst, we decided to create a website that could be used as an online memorial and archive for family and community members looking to honor a loved one who has passed during this unfortunate time," he said.
And senior Richard Perrins said he was impressed by an idea of an interactive workout software.
"My favorite part would be seeing how people react in the face of adversity. In these hard times, it would be easy to sit back and feel sorry for oneself. But these students have actively gotten up and worked hard to solve some of these issues and make the world a better place," he said.
The students are hopeful they can get the support of their school or city to make their ideas become a reality.
Great work, St. Edward students! We're proud to award you this week's NewsDepth A+ for using your creativity to solve real-world problems.
Submit your ideas for our NewsDepth A+ segment to newsdepth@ideastream.org for consideration.