INDIANAPOLIS (WTHI) — Dozens of K-12 students from across Indiana showcased their computer science skills at the annual “Computer Science for Good” competition held at the Indiana Statehouse on Wednesday.
The event, organized by Nex-Tech, allows students to solve community problems using computer science. South Vermillion sent two teams to the competition.
Karen Jung, president of Nex-Tech, emphasized the importance of early education in computer science and AI. “We have got to start early with teaching them skills they can learn through computer science education and AI education,” Jung said. “Skills like critical thinking and problem-solving. These are skills that employees are looking for, so let’s start them young.”
One South Vermillion team developed a website that uses AI to read to students. “We know that kids are not being read to that much, which is not good for their vocabulary, their imagination, or their ability to follow a storyline,” said Sofia Montanez of South Vermillion. “So we decided to make a website for them. On our website, they can pick what books they want to read, what genres, and they can make their own stories.”
Another South Vermillion group created a website connecting people to community service opportunities. Both teams spent five months on their projects, guided by Maria Sellers, a computer science teacher at South Vermillion.
“My favorite part is we have done all of the work leading up to this,” Sellers said. “They have done the brainstorming, we have gone through programming, debugging, troubleshooting, the whole process. Once we walk into this building, it’s all about them. I just get to sit back and watch the magic happen.”
Indeed, magic happened as South Vermillion’s reading project won first place among more than 20 teams.
The competition featured 18 projects out of 200 original entries. Other top projects included a classroom audio system from White Water Career Center and a lost-and-found app from Guilford Elementary School.
Karen Jung expressed pride in the students’ creativity. “We’re always blown away by the creativity and skills demonstrated by these young CS leaders,” she said. “This year is no exception.”
Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner praised the students’ innovative spirit. “Our students’ creativity was on full display as I met with competitors from across Indiana who are using technology to identify and solve community-level needs,” Jenner said.
High Alpha, a sponsor of the event, will host the high school winners for a learning day in February. Scott Dorsey, High Alpha’s managing director, expressed optimism about the future. “We are optimistic that the students participating in CSforGood will become Indiana’s tech entrepreneurs of the future,” Dorsey said.
The event was also supported by the Everwise Foundation and TechPoint. Jennifer Stansberry of the Everwise Foundation highlighted the importance of lifelong learning. TechPoint CEO Ting Gootee applauded the competition and efforts to instill computer science skills in young Hoosiers.
Teams received cash prizes, with educators also receiving funds for classroom technology. The competition was open to all Indiana K-12 students, challenging them to use tech skills to solve real-world problems.