Congratulations to the winning team: EmpowerU. Well done, Nandana and Gouri!
Team EmpowerU, made up of students Nandana and Gwas, was sponsored by their teacher, James Hausman, and included CGI mentors Asutosh Behera, Sydnee Charles, and Rene DeMuyt, as well as University of Pittsburgh Mentors Zeana El-Jajomar, Pujal Gandhi, and Courtney Sheridan. Nandana and Gouri created their app, Tabu, Toward a Better U, to make a tangible difference in the lives of those struggling with addiction. Witnessing the profound impact addiction has on individuals and their families; they were driven to create a solution that offers personalized, accessible, and effective support. Their cause is deeply rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a chance at recovery and a healthier life. They chose to focus on addiction recovery because they recognize the complexity and challenges that come with overcoming addiction. Traditional methods can often feel isolating and inadequate. By leveraging technology, they aim to fill these gaps, providing a user-friendly mobile application that fosters a sense of community and offers essential tools for the individual undergoing rehabilitation. Their mission is to empower users on their journey to recovery, improving their overall well-being and helping them reclaim control over their lives.
The judges were impressed with their ability to take a big topic that many people are impacted by and come up with a solid solution to support it. They were delighted to hear they included real research from those suffering from addiction. They also loved the video skills the team included and how much enthusiasm they shared in the technical and functional development.
About the Challenge
CGI I.T. Girl Challenge is a mobile app challenge for high school girls. Small teams partner with CGI mentors to develop a smartphone app utilizing a mobile app-building platform. Each team presents its mobile app to a panel of judges. The most innovative, applicable, and creative mobile app design team receives college scholarship funds.
The challenge originated at CGI’s Innovation Center in Pittsburgh. Thanks to CGI’s Dream Connectors program, it has become an annual event in Pittsburgh and expanded across the U.S.
The CGI I.T. Girl Challenge is one of our mentorship programs of STEM@CGI, a nationwide K-12 program that aims to train and mentor young people for STEM careers. It strives to provide experiences that inspire students with the drive to learn for a bright future in the digital workforce. STEM@CGI focuses on students in underrepresented demographics in STEM fields, including women, minorities and the economically disadvantaged.
