HARRISBURG, June 25, 2014 — A team of juniors and seniors from Penn Wood High School, Yeadon, won first place and a team of 7th graders from the Add B. Anderson School, West Philadelphia, second, in Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams’ 1st “Anti-Bullying Mobile App Challenge.”

Penn Wood’s team took home new iPad2s and the honor of developing the best mobile application concept for use by schools in the Philly area.

“We declared a winner in this great contest, but each student who participated – and every student who uses Penn Wood’s new mobile app – are winners because they are actively taking an interest, and the next step, in stopping bullying,” Sen. Williams said

Penn Wood High School’s winning application will be officially unveiled to the public during “Anti-Bullying Month” this October.

The team that developed the new technology included Dagmawe Berhanu, senior class president; Iris Freely, 12th grade; Earl Johnson, 11th grade; Allyn Johnson, 12th grade; Giselle Marston, 12th grade; and Danny Santos, 11th grade.

Other students who participated in the ceremony included: David Kranefeld, Michelle Ha, Issac Agyepong, Sianneh Curlun, Sarah McCann (incoming senior class president for 2015), and Jacob McCann.

Add B. Anderson’s second-place team – under the direction of their art teacher, Brittany Kenney, and their principal, Kelly Parker – included Tahir Carter, Alieya Crawford, Donate Lightford, Corey Middleton, and Charnae Champion.

“If you want examples of students who truly care about where they live and how they will work to improve our quality of life in the 8th Senatorial District, look no further than the boys and girls who participated this year in my mobile-app challenge,” the senator said.

This is the third year for Sen. Williams to lead efforts to end bullying in his legislative district. The mobile app contest is one important piece of his continual work to reduce or eliminate bullying in schools. His annual “Summer of Peace” event, which kicked off June 21, also stresses an end to violence and peer-to-peer intimidation.

Members of the Penn Wood High School have also worked with Sen. Williams’ office to roll out anti-bullying projects, including a public service announcement two years ago.

School administrators, teachers and students expressed great pleasure in winning the contest and to maintain their ongoing relationship with the senator.

Each iPad2 awarded included a label that says, “Anti-Bullying App Design Contest Winner 2014, Compliments of State Senator Anthony H. Williams, Comcast and Walmart.”

Sen. Williams also loaded a congratulatory video that each winner will see when they power up their iPad2.

Penn Wood teachers joined the senator’s announcement, including science teacher Debbie Scoleri, English teacher George Ambrose, Spanish teacher Marc Oleynick, math teacher John Kea, project coordinator and Nurse Tracy C. Boyle, and English teacher Sydney Denkins.

Administrators who attended were Penn Wood High School Principal Dr. D. Brandon Cooley, Pupil Services Director Dr. Frank Bruno, and Superintendent Joseph Bruni.

Sen. Williams thanked Comcast and Walmart of Glenolden for their generous support of his contest, including the delivery of the iPad2s for the winning team.

“And a big thank you to STEMNASIUM LEARNING Academy and their students for volunteering to create the app now that one has been identified as the winner,” Williams said. “I am looking forward to ‘Anti-Bullying Month’ this October so we can see how STEMNASIUM and Penn Wood students have turned the concept for the app into a helpful piece of technology.”

The winning team members are also being invited by STEMNASIUM to participate in the development of their design over the summer and into the start of school.

Every student in the Philadelphia, William Penn and Delco school districts will be able to use this new app after it has been created and linked to their school district.

###

Follow state Sen. Anthony H. Williams via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and his website.