NYC students use technology to help shelter animals at Hackathon event
Source: Ben Chapman

Students work together at the SEP Animal Rescue Hackathon! at the offices of Microsoft on Monday in New York City.

More than 140 students from Big Apple middle and high schools gathered at Microsoft's Times Square offices on Monday and used their technology skills to help homeless animals.

The Animal Rescue Hackathon drew students from nine schools throughout the five boroughs. Their challenge was to create a video for Shelter Chic, a group of animal rescuers who find foster homes for shelter animals.

The program was part of the city's efforts to get more kids excited about STEM education as part of the Computer Science for All initiative.





James Keivom/New York Daily News
Allison Pascual is drawn to the endless possibilities of coding.

"There's always a theme to engage kids and really connect what they are learning in school to something in the larger world," said Debbie Marcus, executive director of Computer Science Education for the city Department of Education.

James Keivom/New York Daily News
Seventh grader Jayline Ramos, 13, participated in the event.

Students took over one of Microsoft's large conference rooms. Working in pairs, they hunched over laptops and brainstormed over ways to make fun and engaging videos.

Allison Pascual and Jayline Ramos, seventh-graders from Halsey Junior High School in Queens, said the hackathon was a perfect way to merge their love for animals and computers.

James Keivom/New York Daily News
The students designed programs to help shelter animals find homes.

They designed a video that would help match potential foster families with dogs in need.

"I like how there are so many possibilities to do different things," Pascual, 13, said about working with computers. "You can build a website, you can make a new game. You're not limited."

James Keivom/New York Daily News
More than a hundred New York City public middle and high schoolers participated in the NYC Department of Education's Software Engineering Program's hackathon event.

Last year, Mayor de Blasio announced the $81 million Computer Science for All public-private initiative. Its goal is to bring computer science education to every city elementary, middle and high school over the next 10 years.

Students have participated in a number of themed hackathons as well as internships and visits to technology companies.

"We're excited to see what the kids come up with — anything to help animals that need homes and spread awareness about adoptions," said Brittany Feldman, president and co-founder of Shelter Chic.

She said the non-profit hopes to feature several of the student-made videos on their website and share their work on social media.