LT. GOVERNOR BYSIEWICZ RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES SUBMISSIONS AT 4th ANNUAL COMPUTING CHALLENGE

(HARTFORD, CT) - Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz applauds the 33 submissions highlighted as part of the Lt. Governor's 4th Annual Computing Challenge, “Coding for Good” presented this year by Amazon. This year’s challenge asked Connecticut students in grades 3 through 12 to create applications designed to inspire health and wellness for all, and submit their designs through one of three options: concept, prototype, or development. 

"I want to thank our partners, sponsors, and my wonderful computing challenge committee today as we recognize some of the standout submissions from the 4th  Annual Lt. Governor’s Computing Challenge, with a special thanks to our presenting sponsor Amazon,” said Lt. Governor Bysiewicz. “Computer Science education, especially at an early age, allows our students the opportunity to be curious and engaged in the possibility of their future. It brings me a lot of joy to see such excellent work from our very talented and smart students from across the state and to have the ability to highlight just a small snapshot of the incredible talent our young people and educators have.” 

Made possible by the support and participation of various sponsors, selected students, representing 24 different districts across the state, were able to showcase their challenge projects at an in-person recognition event hosted by the Professional Development Benefactor sponsor, the Infosys Foundation USA, at the Infosys Digital Innovation Center in Hartford. 

“For the fourth year, the Foundation proudly supports the Lt. Governor’s Computing Challenge as the Professional Development Benefactor and host of the in-person Recognition Event which is designed to bring students together with their families, educators and the wider community to celebrate their achievements. This year the Foundation sought to widen its impact by working closely with Ready CT and CodeJoy to deliver inclusive professional development and student-focused sessions to thousands of educators and students leading up to the Challenge – an effort designed to help inspire their participation and promote a wider curiosity about computer science. We are honored to participate in this dynamic partnership led by Lt. Governor Bysiewicz that is focused on CT youth – igniting their imaginations, nurturing their confidence and unlocking their potential to seize further educational opportunities in STEM.” said Kate Maloney, Executive Director, Infosys Foundation USA.

Lt. Governor Bysiewicz, Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) Deputy Commissioner Sinthia Sone-Moyano, and Office of Higher Education Executive Director Tim Larson attended the recognition event, along with representatives of corporate and philanthropic sponsors to congratulate the students and learn more about the inspiration and design of their projects.

“The creative solutions submitted to this year’s Lt. Governor’s Computing Challenge demonstrates how we are preparing our students to become innovators and to help solve some of our greatest challenges,” said CSDE Deputy Commissioner Sinthia Sone-Moyano. “Through computer science, students move beyond being just users of technology to being producers of future technology. This is a fundamental skill for all students and the Connecticut State Department of Education is proud to support this initiative to broaden participation and access to computer science for all students.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of this effort aimed at igniting a spark in young women and students from underserved communities to learn more about coding and the many technological careers it can lead to,” said Office of Higher Education Executive Director Timothy D. Larson. “We 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 fourth year, provided valuable encouragement for students across Connecticut. I look forward to seeing how programs such as these jump-start a generation of young coders who hopefully enroll at our state's colleges and universities.”

“We are thrilled to be part of an initiative like the Computing Challenge, which opens the doors for students of all backgrounds to explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math. At Amazon, we are committed to investing in STEM education and supporting the next generation of innovators and big thinkers build their bright futures right here in Connecticut,” said Jerome Smith, Amazon’s Head of Community Engagement for New England.

The 2022-23 school year was the fourth successive year the computing challenge was held. For this year’s challenge, more than 208 projects were submitted, emphasizing the creativity and ingenuity of Connecticut’s students.

One of the priorities of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, chaired by the Lt. Governor, has been to inspire female students to develop an interest in technology through expanding STEM education among women and girls. The Council is proud to acknowledge that out of the 33 recognized submissions, 14 were from young women and girls or from teams that included young women and girls.

The recognized submissions were as follows: 

Concept Challenge

Grades 3-5

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

Prototype Challenge

Middle School

High School

Development Challenge

Grades 5-6

Grade 9

Grade 10

Grade 11

Grade 12

We also had additional submissions recognized for two separate types of awards thanks to our community partnerships. First, we had the Bridgeport Prospers Award given to Code CT by Estavo Martins from the Information Technolgy & Software Engineering Magney High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Next, The Jackson Laboratories Achievement Award was given to the following submissions:

Prototype Challenge

Middle School

High School

Development Challenge

For the purpose of professional development, two recipients received five student sessions with CodeJoythrough a raffle, and three educators were awardedSacred Heart University CS-Plan scholarships. 

In order to continue active engagement of our students interested in computing during the summer, the Computing Challenge partnered with various community organizations to provide incentive awards to our students. Some of the incentives awarded during the recognition event ranged from free CS teaching resources (such as professional development, subscriptions and more) for teachers and school districts with high submission numbers, and prizes for innovative submissions (such as iPads, custom college tours, research facility visits, museums admission tickets, job shadowing opportunities, and more).

And lastly, thank you to all of our generous donors who provided items for our SWAG bags. Items ranged from Google water bottles, Infosys Foundation USA bags, and more.

For more information on the Challenge, visit https://www.ltgovcc.org/.