Forget Games of Thrones, a group of young technology slayers stole the show at a North Vancouver high school this past weekend.
The 24-week Game of Apps program, guiding North Shore secondary students through the process of building mobile apps, from idea to implementation, ended in a regional tech battle at Carson Graham Secondary on Saturday.
Participating students from North Vancouver School District and West Vancouver Schools were grouped into small teams as the app ideas started flowing.
Local technology professionals mentored the teenagers weekly after school and on Saturdays, teaching them the same tools, techniques and processes used in the industry.
The budding techies took on multiple project roles such as developer, designer, project manager, quality assurance and marketing manager, through the entire cycle of building an app.
The students’ innovation was showcased during the Game of Apps regional championship Saturday, when they pitched and demonstrated their mobile apps to a panel of industry judges.
Awards were handed out to winners in various categories including best design, most innovative, and outstanding leadership.
North Shore students won individual awards during the event, representing Carson Graham, Windsor, Rockridge and Sentinel high schools.
Team Quay were the overall champions with their Minding the Maze app: an iMessage game in which users can challenge their friends to complete a maze.
Team Sentinel finished in second place, after putting forward an app that manages and personalizes students’ class rotations and homework schedules.
Both North Shore teams will advance to the Game of Apps provincial championship on May 25 at the BCIT Downtown Campus.
The Game of Apps program affords students the ability to boost their portfolio when applying to post-secondary institutions and places of employment.
