Spring 2019 Riverside Unified AppJamboree Recap & Results - Dreams for Schools
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Spring 2019 Riverside Unified AppJamboree Recap & Results

Dreams for Schools concluded the fist ever Riverside AppJam+ program with an AppJamboree this Spring 2019 on May 20th, where students from 3 schools from the Riverside Unified School District presented the mobile applications they had developed over a 10-week period. The AppJamboree event was held at University Heights Middle School with presentations from 19 teams.

Dreams for Schools concluded the fist ever Riverside AppJam+ program with an AppJamboree this Spring 2019 on May 20th, where students from 3 schools from the Riverside Unified School District presented the mobile applications they had developed over a 10-week period. The AppJamboree event was held at University Heights Middle School with presentations from 19 teams.

With nearly 90 middle school students from Fremont Elementary, University Heights Middle School, and Longfellow Elementary, judges had an incredibly tough task to select three winners to take the prizes. In addition to the friendly judging competition, a "Best Poster" award was voted on by participating students and judges also picked "Best Stage Presentation"

View videos from each school here!

1st Place Winners of Google Chrome Books – Intellectual Timberwolves from Longfellow Elementary
App Name: Hero of the Ocean
Mentor: Kiana M.
Team Members: Yesica J., Michael M., Diego T., Jaqueline F., Sofia A.
App Description:A diver stumbled across an ocean filled with trash and poor sea critters caught in the trash. The diver decides to help save the ocean by cleaning it up and saving the sea critters. However, the job is not that simple. The diver must also beware of the danger that lurks in the ocean...
Technical Components Used: Score and health system, if/then statements, collisions, randomized sprite spawns


2nd Place Winners of BB-8 Spheros – Cool-Appers from University Heights Middle School
App Name: Ready, Set, Action!
Mentor: David R.
Team Members: Alison R., Chris P.
App Description: Our app includes two mini-games that tie into the environmental issues that exist. One focuses on conserving energy by turning off lights and the other stopping lumberjacks from entering forests. We wanted to show that there are multiple issues, as well as solutions to these problems.
Technical Components Used: Image Sprites, Timer, and Touch Input


3rd Place Winners of Raspberry Pi Kits – Panda Corporation from Longfellow Elementary
App Name: Panda Survival
Mentor: Carissa L.
Team Members: Isamel A., Jannet D., Mariann L., David P., Emily U.
App Description: Our game follows the world of pandas who live peacefully until pollution invades their planet. The pollution makes them sick and forces them to go into hiding. Panda scientist come together and create a cure made out of a lot of bamboo. Trained pandas go out to take care of the pollution, every pollution they take out is equal to one bamboo.
Technical Components Used: Buttons, canvas, image sprite, and movement on a timer.


Best Presentation Winners of Tin Can Robot Kits – Team Aqua from Longfellow Elementary
App Name: Helping the Ocean
Mentor: Cristian R.
Team Members: Damian B., Jesse C., Sofia D., Rocelia M., Eulalia T.
App Description: Helping the Ocean is the tale of a young girl looking to help sea creatures caught in the polluted waters of the ocean. The game features all original art work created by everyone in the team. In order to win you must help fish caught on plastic.
Technical Components Used: Databases in order to keep track of the score, lists in order to keep track and swap images, labels with changing text to display the changing score, a countdown timer, collision detection, buttons to move the character on the canvas.


Best Poster Winners of Snap Circuits – Blizzard Lizzards from Longfellow Elementary
App Name: Trash Dash
Mentor: Bailey Y.
Team Members: Anthony B., Mark C., Kimberly D., Ruby J., Jezebel J.
App Description: Our app is a game about a Stickman collecting trash from the environment to make the world a cleaner place without crashing into trash cans.
Technical Components Used: Clocks, animations, jumping character


Closing Remarks

This is our first expansion regionally to Riverside and first time partnering with RUSD to bring the AppJam+ program to the students. The apps these students developed and presented were truly reflective of their growth throughout the program, both technically and personally. The level of technical sophistication highlighted by each app speaks volumes to the sheer teamwork and technical savvy the students have developed over the course of only 10 weeks time. The stage presence of all participating teams is applaud-worthy, as the students boldly and brightly showed off all of their hard work to the large attending audience.

Thank you all for your support of a program that not only helps participants gain technical skills and knowledge of possible STEM career paths but also increases each participant's belief in themselves and their aptitude for a career in STEM fields.

Thank you to our judges Krishnan Venkataraman, Arlene Gonzalez, Tiffany Alvarez, Juan Angeles, Steve Kong, Steven Harwood, Ricardo Bellinger, Cordell Thomas, and Jennifer Thornton!

A special thank you to our partners: UC Riverside, CA Dept of Education, Riverside Unified School District

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