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Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz

06/23/2021

Lt. Governor Bysiewicz Commends Recognized Submissions to the Second Annual Lt. Governor Computing Challenge

Second annual event organized by the Governor's Council on Women and Girls sees substantial increase in number of participants across Connecticut

(Hartford, CT) - Lt. Governor Bysiewicz applauds the 13 recognized submissions to the Lt. Governor's second annual computing challenge. The 13 teams, from schools across the state and 3 different age groups, were recognized at a virtual celebration with the Lt. Governor, DMV Commissioner Bongi Magubane, Acting Department of Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker, and Office of Higher Education Executive Director Tim Larson. The 2020-21 school year was the second successive year the computing challenge was held. In 2021, the number of submissions jumped from 372 in 2020 to 430 in 2021. The 2021 computing challenge had 73 schools and education partners in Connecticut.

"Careers in coding and computing are the good-paying jobs of the future, yet these fields are too often lacking in representation of women and people of color," Lt. Governor Bysiewicz said. "The submissions recognized as part of the Lt. Governor's computing challenge show that when young women and girls are provided opportunities and encouragement to pursue their passions in STEM learning, they can do incredible things. Connecticut's next generation is full of innovative thinkers and talented technical minds, and it is our job to give them the platform they deserve to succeed. I want to thank our state agency partners, Commissioner Magubane, Acting Commissioner Russell-Tucker, and Executive Director Larson, as well as our corporate sponsors: AT&T, Tallan, Girl Scouts of America, Infosys, Google, and Microsoft for all their support championing the coding challenge. I am proud to organize this event as part of the Governor's Council on Women and Girls and I look forward to championing its continued success."

“There is no doubt that the young woman who participated in last week’s computing challenge were motivated and focused on making a difference in the world. I was very impressed by all of the participants and am hopeful that these young women will continue to pursue their dreams and eventually blaze their own path within the computing industry,” said DMV Commissioner Sibongile Magubane. “It is an honor to work alongside Lt. Governor Bysiewicz to elevate awareness and to provide encouragement to so many young women.”

“We are investing in the advancements of STEM and computer science education to inspire a new, diverse wave of students to pursue these career fields. We celebrate the students who stepped up to the challenge this year and encourage them to continue to prepare to compete for the high-tech, high-skill, and high-wage careers of the 21st century economy,” said Acting Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker.

"Careers in coding and technology are among the best-paying jobs in our state,” said Office of Higher Education Executive Director Tim Larson. “Yet too often, young women and people of color don't have the career and skill-development to create a pathway to these careers. As Executive Director of the Office of Higher Education, I know that when we create opportunities for our students to gain real world experience in coding, we set them up for a lifetime of success in the classroom and in the workforce. The Lt. Governor's Computing Challenge has, for the second year running, provided valuable encouragement and experience in the world of tech and coding for students across Connecticut. I cannot wait to see a generation of young coders and engineers from this challenge enroll at our state's colleges and universities and pursue their dreams in the future!"

You can learn more about the Lt. Governor’s Computing Challenge here: https://www.ltgovcc.org/.

The recognized submissions were as follows:

Elementary School

  • Community Helpers
    • Jade Arroyo-Flecha, 3rd Grade
    • Montessori Magnet School - Hartford, CT
  • Power Off
    • Harshitha Rajashekar, Prasheetha Yerrajunnugari ,Manvitha Peela, and Nidhi Motamarri, 5th Grade
    • Stamford Charter School of Excellence - Stamford, CT
  • True Friend
    • Shreya Nambiar, 5th Grade
    • Pleasant Valley Elementary School - South Windsor, CT

Middle School

  • Small Changes
    • Devi Patel-Gandhi, Misthi Patel-Gandhi, 6th and 5th Grades
    • Brooklyn Middle School - Brooklyn, CT
  • Be Positive: A Platformer
    • Genevieve Corricelli, 7th Grade
    • East Granby Middle School - East Granby, CT

High School

  • Carbon Savvy
    • Zoe Akwanda, 9th Grade
    • Platt Technical High School - Milford, CT
  • Open Up
    • Rik Roy, 10th Grade
    • Ellington High School, Ellington, CT
  • Breathe
    • Hrithika Ravishankar, Mantra Burugu, 11th Grade
    • Farmington High School, Farmington, CT

Girl Scouts Featured Submission

  • TeamKids4Nature
    • Abigail Esterheld, 4th Grade
    • Girl Scout Troop 60421 and North Haven Public Schools, North Haven, CT

Tallan Featured Submission

  • Simple Thought
    • Jake Simoes, 11th Grade
    • W.F. Kaynor Technical School - Waterbury, CT

AT&T Featured Submission

  • Study With Me
    • Jennifer Yang, 12th Grade
    • North Haven High School, North Haven, CT

Infosys Featured Submission

  • Best Technical Design: Squad
    • Christian Stiker
    • Stamford, CT
  • Most Innovative: Vivo
    • Suchita Srinivasan, 7th Grade
    • Dodd Middle School, Cheshire, CT
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Contact

Sean Butler

Director of Communications

sean.butler@ct.gov