Next week, I’m going to have the honor of judging the work of about 250 high school and college students in a competition to design mobile apps for seniors. The 3rd Annual #WestchesterSmart Mobile App Development Bowl will be held on April 28 at Pace University’s Westchester campus in Pleasantville, NY.
The goal is to create an app that solves a need faced by seniors 65 years old or older. Some of the possible solutions include:
- Access and use products and services across industries: retail, food, healthcare, transportation, finance, etc.
- Better perform various activities: exercise, cooking, taking medication, reading, dating, learning new skills, etc.
- Communicate with their loved ones and others in their communities utilizing media and social platforms.
Entries cover everything from brain exercises to virtual reality “staycations” and intelligent security cameras. A $1,000 Grand Prize will be awarded to the team with the highest scores in all three areas: Usability, Creativity, and Functionality. Prizes will also be awarded for the top scorers in the three categories. Teams with the highest score will receive $500, second place teams will receive $350, and third place will get $150.
This is a great opportunity for students to put their computer and technology learning to practical use, and benefit others at the same time. I look forward to seeing what creative ideas these young people present.
