High school students developing app to help students chose career paths
Pathways App creator Leroy Moore, Deshawn Threadgill, Antonio Carter and
Jaylen Lee, with their teacher Heather Williams. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CPS.
Students in Chicago Vocational Career Academy’s IT program are developing an app that can help high school and college students figure out their career paths. The Pathways App, is a concept being developed by Leroy Moore, Deshawn Threadgill, Antonio Carter and Jaylen Lee under the advisement of their Web Design Teacher, Heather Williams.
The students, who are all seniors, have been in computer science classes with Williams since their freshman year when they had to choose a major. They have been learning HTML and CSS, computer coding languages, in order to create applications.
The app combines Artificial Intelligence to help undecided high school and college students by matching them to their top three careers and lets them know how to get to those careers. It provides different pathways to careers that students might not know existed.
The students came up with the idea for the app because while they knew they were interested in IT and coding, they weren’t sure which career they wanted to pursue.
Threadgill became interested in IT because he wanted to create a computer game when he was younger and he was introduced to HTML. Moore was introduced to coding his first year at CVCA, when he had to choose a major. After Moore learned CSS last year, he really became interested in coding. Lee became interested in IT because he was always interested in computers and also wanted to create a computer game. Carter became interested in IT after being in a math class where he had to use coding to operate a robot.
“These students chose technology and they’re really great students because they’re really hungry and they really want to understand IT,” Williams said.
With the class, Williams is also teaching the students entrepreneurship. By the end of Senior Year, the goal is for them to develop a business and create a website. The students are able to create an app that has real world benefits and make money from it.
The students want to take the Pathways app and expand it to other school districts and sell it. With this app, the students believe they can solve issues of crime and poverty by providing this app to help steer people to careers that will be sustaining for them and their families.
The students were recognized for their accomplishments at a ceremony where City of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, with other students who categories including, medical assistance, computer science, chess and debate.
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