According to dailyinterlake.com, Two teams from Code Girls United were given the Spirit of Montana Award by Susan Gianforte, first lady of Montana, on September 15th in Kalispell. The award is meant to recognize Montanans’ dedication or service to the community. In July, the Coding Caribous and Tech Trio were name semifinalists in the beginner and senior divisions of the International Technovation Challenge for apps they designed to deter human trafficking and help children make friends using nonverbal communication.
Team Tech Trio, which is made up of Emma Anderson, Isabelle Ashley, and Makayla Davenport, developed “Found,” after reading local news about human trafficking, according to the teams own description of the app. The app allows users across the United States to send and access information on missing persons near them. The information provided includes age, height, and last known location. Users also are able to report suspicious activity directly to the National Human Trafficking Hotline as well as local law enforcement. “Found” is educational through helping users to identify signs of human trafficking. It also “prepares teens and young adults for online trafficking threats, such as manipulation and luring,” through a feature that simulates social media sites where users are able to make decisions based on scenarios presented to them.
The Coding Caribous team is made up of Maryn Hobby, Peyton Norris, Evangeline McCormick, and Kiara VanSlayke. The team developed “Communication Station,” after taking notice that youths are struggling to communicate with friends or take par tin activities, according to the apps description. The team sent surveys as part of their research to learn what features kids would like to see in the app. The app also includes games and tips “to help children feel more self-confident and encourage them to participate and communicate with others,” as state din the description.
“These seven girls are the future of Montana,” said Code Girls Executive Director Marianne Smith. “We celebrate these young ladies along with those who have participated in our programs since 2016.”
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