Cork-based students to represent Europe in Technovation 2023
A team of four transition year students from St Vincent’s School, Cork will represent Europe in the last five of the junior category of the Technovation World Summit 2023, an international technology and leadership competition that encourages girls to code mobile apps to address real-world problems.
Bongo Buddies, a mental health app for teenagers, was created by transition year students Alicja Skulimowska, Layla O’Driscoll, Leona Islam, and Roisin Buckley.
The app’s primary feature is a chatbot where you can speak to a ‘Bongo’ AI avatar which provides users certified school counsellor mental health advice, and in potentially concerning circumstances, will link students directly to Childline. Other features on the app include a mood tracker, a dyslexia-friendly function, and dedicated features for users with poor sight.
The team has made it to the final five global entrants in the junior category, from a total of 2,100 teams in 84 countries. The final will take place in Silicon Valley on 3 to 8 October.
Student and Bongo Buddies co-founder Alicja Skulimowska said: “Bongo Buddies is free and has no in-app purchases. This was important to us as we know many young people don’t have money to purchase some of the more expensive mental health apps currently on the market.”
Teen-Turn
The team was supported by Teen-Turn, an Irish non-profit that provides teen girls the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience and exposure in leading tech companies. The group seeks to connect, empower and impact girls from junior cert to job. Since its foundation in 2016, it has worked with nearly 2,000 girls to tackle the low number of women from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities who are attaining third level qualifications in STEM. Girls are given hands-on experience, they are assigned invested mentors and provided with career development opportunities. In doing so, it partners with leading corporates and state bodies, including Hays Recruitment and Science Foundation Ireland.
Teen Turn lead mentor and teacher in St Vincents, Sinead Connolly said: “The commitment the girls showed over the past few months to their project was amazing. It is a joy to see girls grow in skills, from confidence to coding and presenting their projects proudly.”
Last year, Cork teen Saanvi Kaushik was made a double Technovation award winner by creating new therapy service and climate change apps.
For further information about the app is available at https://bongobuddies.carrd.co/
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