U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin recognized Hartland High School juniors Elijah Putrow and Eric Fisco as the winners of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. Their creation, the School Group Finder App, offers a way for students to engage and feel more connected to their peers and their school community.
The app allows students to meet classmates with similar interests and organize events like playing tennis, starting a study group, or even having a breakdancing competition.
Slotkin visited Prutow and Fisco’s class, taught by Mrs. Anne Hasseld, at Hartland High School earlier this month to deliver the good news in person.
“This app isn’t just thoughtfully designed and coded, it’s also a powerful tool to help building strong relationships between groups of people, something we all need more of these days,” Slotkin said.
“Given all the experiences of the past few years, and for our community even in just the last few months, many of our kids are feeling isolated or disconnected. I love that Elijah and Eric are using technology to find new ways to build meaningful connections with others.”
Here is the video about the School Group Finder app:
The app is also currently featured on the Congressional App winners page.
The judges for the competition in the 8th District included:
• Jennifer Tisdale, Senior Principal, Cyber Physical Systems, GRIMM
• Michelle Massey, Vice President at Dewpoint
• Jessica Gupta, Rochester Hills Robotics Team Parent Volunteer
The Congressional App Challenge launched in 2014 to encourage students nationwide to code. It is designed to engage student creativity and encourage their participation in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education fields. It is considered the most prestigious prize in student computer science.
