Watch out world — these kids mean business.
On April 23, Long Island high school students put their coding skills to the test during the third annual Hackathon, hosted by the New York State Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology at Stony Brook University and sponsored by Verizon. The event brought together 120 students from 15 Nassau and Suffolk County school districts, including Baldwin, for a fast-paced day of coding, innovation and entrepreneurial problem-solving.
The Hackathon challenged young computer science students to design entrepreneurial solutions to real-world problems. Equipped with NVIDIA Jetson Developer Kits, students applied Python programming, machine learning and artificial intelligence to construct innovative applications on advanced computer systems.
Each team of four had the opportunity to receive mentoring from Stony Brook University undergraduate and graduate computer science students while racing against the clock to brainstorm, build and present their concepts to a panel of judges.
“Working in teams of four, students were tasked with developing entrepreneurial solutions to challenges surrounding digital reliability, from disaster response to communication breakdowns,” said Krupa D’Souza, a mathematics teacher at Baldwin High School and advisor. “Students were provided with NVIDIA Jetson developer kits for use to both code and test the prototype solution. Undergrad and grad students were available on site to mentor and help high school students during the hackathon.”
Baldwin sent two teams to the competition, and D’Souza said students rose to the challenge.
“Our students did a good job of creating solutions and presenting to the judges,” she said. “Every member of the team was able to contribute and present. Students walked away with a sense of appreciation for the experience.”
“Baldwin High School’s continued participation in the CEWIT Hackathon is truly exciting and reflects our commitment to innovation and excellence,” Assistant Director of Instructional Programs Dr. Gabriella Franza added. “I am incredibly proud of our students for their creativity, dedication, and the way they represent our school community.”
The participating districts also included Plainview-Old Bethpage, Mount Sinai, Jericho, Mineola, MacArthur in Levittown, Ward Melville in the Three Village district, Port Jefferson, Syosset, Longwood, Rocky Point, Brentwood, Riverhead, Newfield and Patchogue-Medford.
A team from Brentwood — Glenda Fuentes, Kevin Garcia, Margaret Aragon and Erika Canessa — had never used Python before the event, but still managed to construct an impressive application.
Their app, EvacPath, was designed to help city residents locate shelters during weather emergencies. The application would alert first responders to communities in danger and direct those trapped in flooded areas to nearby shelters.
“We have first responders that can be alerted about you being in need,” Fuentes said. “And the equipment that we use would be in your traffic camera. We would be using them to see where people are, to locate them.”
For cameras requiring internet access during outages, she said the team proposed using drones as backup technology.
When asked what their favorite part of the day was, Fuentes pointed to “seeing our code come to life; brainstorming; being able to work together.”
Ward Melville computer science teacher Michael Smit and mathematics teacher Aaron Tam also said they enjoyed watching students collaborate under pressure.
“I love watching them be excited and be innovative with their creations,” Smit said.
“And watching them work together as a team,” Tam added.
Students from Plainview-Old Bethpage created a website designed to help businesses troubleshoot software issues by generating instant solutions — functioning as a kind of personal IT assistant.
“For me, it was the product, knowing that I can create something that can help other people,” team member Alexander Veytsman said. “I like that a lot.”
Isabella Simone is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
