TAG Education Collaborative Announces 2011 WEBChallenge Scholarship Winners

Atlanta, GA, May 19, 2011 --(PR.com)-- TAG Education Collaborative, the charitable arm of the Technology Association of Georgia that is focused on science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.) education initiatives, is announcing the winners of its 9th Annual WEBChallenge Scholarship Program. The WEBChallenge program engages teams of high school students in a competition to build an application of their choosing (simple game, tutorial, etc.) that teaches other students a topic related to science, technology, engineering or math (S.T.E.M) in a new and engaging way.

This year’s challenge attracted nearly 200 students from 14 high schools throughout the state and included two virtual teams of home schooled students from as far away as Connecticut and New Jersey. TAG-Ed awarded scholarships totaling nearly $25,000 to 25 of those students in a special awards ceremony held at the offices of McKesson Corporation. Robert Hendricks Jr., SVP, Program and Portfolio Management, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, addressed the students on the opportunity for students interested in pursuing technology careers.

Winning teams were evaluated and received awards based upon their ability to develop a Web-based application using a systems development process that is typical of a real-world development, though on a smaller scale. Students developed plans and tracked progress in the planning, constructing, testing, and implementation phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

For the first time, faculty members that supported the winning teams received a stipend for their supply budgets. “We wanted to recognize the teachers that supported these teams with a few more resources for their classroom. This stipend is a small appreciation for the tremendous time and energy these teachers put into their students.” said Michael Robertson, Executive Director of TAG Education Collaborative.

Final web applications were judged by members of the business community, educators and other students. Scholarship prizes were awarded to the top 2 teams in the following categories:

Best Concept

Team R & R – Collins Hill High School

Students – Renee Crozier, Rachel Crozier
Faculty Advisor - Stacy Byous

Commented Out – Virtual Homeschool Team based out of Mt. Pisgah Christian School

Students Nathaniel Pawelczyk, Nicholas Ward
Faculty Advisor – Derek Otieno

Most Effective Implementation

Team ICE – Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology

Students – Insiya Ahmed, Courtney Jackson, Esther Tonea
Faculty Advisor – Patricia Caldwell

The Masterminds – Johns Creek High School

Students - Sudarshan Muralidhar, Anish Narayanan
Faculty Advisor – Michelle Morris

Best Documentation Package

Geodaesia Labs – Virtual Homeschool team based out of Mt. Pisgah Christian School

Students – Jeremy Bartz, Jonathon Page, Kai Ninomiya
Faculty Advisor – Derek Otieno

Team Voyager – North Cobb High School

Students – Logan Genet, Steven Welday, Ariel Scott, Tiffany Zhang
Faculty Advisor – Pam Shattles

Judges Prize for Best Overall Creativity

The Mountain View Bears – Mountain View High School

Students – Brian Abbott, Robert Compton
Faculty Advisor – Rosemary Lengsas

Bones R’ Us – Fulton Science Academy High School

Students – Diana Mathabela, Amina Madhlom, Lauren Hall
Faculty Advisor – Tahir Duzyol

Grand Prize for Best Overall Entry

Mango Farm – Meadowcreek High School

Students – Quang Vo, William Goonsantiviboon, Breana Ma, Briyick Sibrian
Faculty Advisor – Pintu Thaker

Team ICE – Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology

Students – Insiya Ahmed, Courtney Jackson, Esther Tonea
Faculty Advisor – Patricia Caldwell

The TAG Education Collaborative is dedicated to strengthening Georgia's future workforce by uniting Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) resources with leading education initiatives while emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Tino Mantella, President of TAG added, “I continue to be amazed at the quality of work that high school students can produce. The WEBChallenge program is intended to give students an opportunity developing technology and gaining valuable skills to better prepare them for future technology careers.”

For more information on the WEBChallenge, visit www.tagedonline.org or contact Michael Robertson, Executive Director of TAG Education Collaborative at mrobertson@tagonline.org.

About TAG Education Collaborative
TAG Education Collaborative initiatives include a student internship program, the WebChallenge competition for high school students, and the Vine Event, a fundraiser launched in 2009 which has raised more than $80,000 to support STEM education. The TAG Education Collaborative provides middle school and high school programs designed to provide these students with hands-on activities that enable them to gain an appreciation for the opportunities available in STEM careers. For additional information, visit TAG Education Collaborative or contact Michael Robertson at (404) 920 – 2038 or mrobertson@tagonline.org.

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