Over 40 MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) students from Seattle and Tacoma will compete in Hack for Change, a mobile application challenge, on Sat., June 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Seattle City Hall.
For the past two months, MESA students from three local high schools (Lakes and Foss in Tacoma, Mariner in Seattle) have participated in a program that introduces them to computer science through the creation of a smartphone application.
Students have worked with industry mentors and advisors to build apps that are aimed to help them manage assignments and projects. Their work will be put to the test on Saturday where they will compete for scholarships and prizes. The event is sponsored by Technology Alliance and the Washington State Broadband Office.
Following the competition, students will continue to work with teachers and mentors. In the fall, they will redesign and write code for their next application.
Washington MESA, which is a part of the University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, builds a pathway to college and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for students who are underrepresented in these fields including African American, Native American, Latino/a and female students.
For more information about the Washington MESA Computer Science Initiative, contact Phyllis Harvey-Buschel, Washington MESA Curriculum Director, at pgharvey@u.washington.edu or 206-897-1714.