Participants whose ages ranged from 5 to 16 years had the opportunity to get their hands “dirty” with the inner workings of technology, science, mobile app development, robotics, analytical thinking with maths and multimedia technologies.

Participants were tasked with the development of a mobile application that aims to solve a particular transport problem on the island. The app will be released in the future for download and use by the public.

Other children were immersed in engineering projects such as robotics design and assembly and were able to have fully functional robots while others were able to successfully design and put together a fully functional radio that picked up FM and AM signals. Other projects that included the creation of a wave machine to demonstrate the travelling of sound waves back and forth, the dis-assembly and assembly of computer equipment and crimping of category 5 and category 6 network cables.

Other participants were taught the concept of bridge and building designs and were able to design and construct prototype bridges and buildings that could handle the expected weights.

Coordinators said hackathon was the first of its kind in St Maarten. It was organised by Caribbean Tech Corps Foundation CTC. CTC President Stanley Ejingiri said the foundation is aimed at sensitising the people of the Caribbean region on the importance and potentials of technology to solve challenges that are unique to the region. In addition the CTC foundation intends to empower Caribbean youths with the skills, resources and environment needed to make them future technology solution providers for St Maarten and the Caribbean region as a whole.

The summer camp allowed the organisers to identify youths who were talented in different areas of technology, science, engineering and math and according to foundation’s Conlan King, CTC will continue to train and nurture these youngsters in their areas of interests and strengths until they have become strong enough to become solution providers in their respective areas.

Representatives from Caribserve and the Ministry of Education were present during the final day of the hackathon. Other founding members of the CTC Foundation are Julian Mason, Joshua Schwiers and Shannon Bell.

For more on this story go to: https://thedailyherald.sx/islands/67869-students-create-mobile-app-to-solve-a-transport-problem