Gig Harbor kids’ ‘digital fridge’ wins top state spot in technology contest
A team of Gig Harbor middle-schoolers’ bright idea of a “digital fridge” for food banks has won them a top spot in a national technology contest.
Nine after-school technology buffs from Goodman Middle School in Gig Harbor have been named Washington state winners in the contest, called “Solve for Tomorrow.”
The Goodman team’s idea was for a smartphone app that could help food banks or grocers distribute fresh vegetables to needy families.
Samsung, the sponsor of the contest, announced Wednesday that the Goodman students will get $15,000 worth of technology for their school — and a berth as a national finalist in the contest.
“The kids were really excited!” said their advisor, Goodman language teacher Jennifer DeGroot, on Wednesday. “Lots of high-fives and fist pumps.”
The contest challenges middle and high-school student to “solve real-world issues in their community” using classroom skills in science and technology.
The Goodman Tech Club focused on a nutritional problem: Food banks need a way to deliver fresh, perishable food to needy families, in addition to the usual canned and boxed foods.
Their answer: An app, called “Digital Fridge,” that families can use to build a wish list of perishable foods to be picked up at food banks or groceries.
The idea evolved during brain-storming sessions among members of the Tech Club, which meets after school in Goodman’s computer lab.
“It had to be something to benefit the community,” said sixth-grader Kaitlyn McAllister, 11. “We knew we already had canned food and stuff in the food banks, but that’s not as nutritious as fresh food, like meat and vegetables. We wondered if there was a way we could use tech to make fresh food available.”
As part of their prize as state winners, the Goodman students will get a “video kit” from Samsung they will use to prepare a 3-minute video to pitch their idea online nationally in March. The top 20 winners, chosen in an online vote, will go on to a final contest in Washington, D.C.
They’ve also been assigned a Samsung mentor, a technologist from Seattle, to help them write the code for their proposed app.
The other state finalists were schools in Toledo, Spokane, Lynden and Ocean Shores.
“I didn’t think we had much of a chance, because there were so many moving parts to our idea,” said DeGroot, “But it turned out, they liked it.”
In the action plan they wrote for the Samsung contest, the Goodman students described “an app and/or website that can be used by families to make a ‘wish list’ of fresh, healthy foods they would like to order. Their wishes will generate a list that can be used by local food banks, grocery stores and farms...”
The students were aware of programs like Backpacks 4 Kids, which provides non-perishable foods, like nutrition bars, cereals and boxed noodles to families in the Peninsula School District. What was needed, they agreed, was a way to add healthier fresh foods to that mix.
As part of their research, the students reached out to Peninsula food banks and grocery stores, and got some encouragement. They also found a few hitches. Food banks generally don’t have refrigerators, they learned. They’re still grappling with that, and with other details, like how to deliver fresh food.
The kids were to have a video conference with their Samsung mentor after school Wednesday, to learn about their next step.
“They were so excited when they learned about winning,” said DeGroot. “One girl turned to another student and said, ‘You owe me ten bucks!’ Apparently there were a few side bets on the outcome.”
The students already have a wish list for their prize money: a 3D printer and a laser engraver for use in robotics.
Besides Kaitlin, the Tech Club team, all 6th, 7th or 8th-graders, included Manil Aghara, Kim Bornt, Dominic Colombo, Trevor Grayson, Josh Pelczar, Andrew Reyder, Kyson Starwalt and William Swanson.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 1:38 PM.