Page 5 - MidWeek West - Jan 26, 2022

DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach Eighth-graders Create App, Win State Competition
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volved with the Congressio- nal App Challenge because it gave us a way to share our culture through technol- ogy. In this process, I was able to develop my skills in block code, which gives me the ability to develop other apps in future.”
discussions around digital ethics, data, privacy and artificial intelligence, it is an urgent justice issue that everyone is informed and understands their rights as users of various apps and technologies.”
(and) inquiry-based learning through a culturally respon- sive pedagogy and a culture of high expectations.”
Kaden Hieger, a 13-year- old eighth grade student at DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach, teamed up with classmates Aureanna Inay, Jaylen Rabago and Zaydi Willis to build the Nani App. The young teens created the app to teach elementary-age kids about Hawaiian cul- ture and the environment through a fun, interactive “dress up” game.
According to Livaudais, the students used a prob- lem-solving process that engineers refer to as “de- fine-prepare-try-reflect-em- pathize.” The team spent a significant amount of time in the “define” stage iden- tifying a problem that they felt passionate and knowl- edgeable about. They land- ed on the idea of Hawaiian cultural representation for young keiki, then spent hours designing, coding and iterating until “Nani” was born.
Hard work paid off for four DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach students, along with their computer science coach, who recently won the Hawai‘i Congressional App Challenge for the Nani App. PHOTO COURTESY DREAMHOUSE ‘EWA BEACH
The team realized that app creation “requires a truly collaborative effort.” Every student-leader on the team contributed, whether it was wire-framing, designing, pro- gramming, writing or debug- ging. When reflecting on the process, the student leaders acknowledge that they could not have been successful without each other’s help.
“My role within the app project was mainly around coding and design,” Hieger says. “I got involved be- cause it was a great oppor- tunity to learn more about block code and app design. It was important to get in-
that they can be creators of technology,” Livaudais says. “It is so important that every student has access to a foun- dational computer science education so they understand how technology impacts them and their communities. As we see more frequent
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“I really enjoyed working with my teammates on this challenge,” Hieger says. “We worked well together and feel proud to be able to represent our school and our state.”
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The app was so well re- ceived that area Congress- man Ed Case, who sponsored the challenge, recognized the team as the winners via a Zoom call. In addition to receiving a certificate of achievement, the app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol
Building and showcased on the Congressional App web- site along with winners from other states.
“As the world becomes more and more technolo- gy-driven, we need to show students, especially un- der-represented students,
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