App-E-Feat Mobile App Development Contest to Benefit Humanity

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IEEE-USA (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Mar 28, 2014, 04:37 ET

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Are you interested in using technology for the betterment of humanity and winning some cool prizes? If so, App-E-Feat is just for you.

App-E-Feat is a mobile app development initiative featuring a two-category contest to help solve a local or global problem and have a positive impact on people's lives. Contestants 13- to 17-years-old are asked to draw or describe an app online. Those 18 and older have to submit the actual app code. A panel of judges will choose the winning entries.

Prizes include an iPad Air tablet computer for first-place finishers in each of the two categories. Second-place finishers will receive a $250 Amazon gift card; those placing third will receive a $150 Amazon gift card. Each of the top contestants will have the opportunity to work with an IEEE mentor to enhance their technology-development skills and interest.

Examples of problems an App-E-Feat entrant could help solve include, among others, apps that provide location information for immunization clinics, educational resources and places to find safe drinking water.

"IEEE-USA launched the App-E-Feat contest to inspire both engineers and the next generation of technology professionals to find ways to leverage their expertise to benefit humanity," said Dr. Karen Panetta, IEEE-USA vice president for communications & public awareness.

The contest is open through 19 May, and winners will be announced 20 June. For more information and official rules, see http://www.appefeat.org/contest.

Panetta, an IEEE fellow and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University, conceived App-E-Feat while listening to former President Bill Clinton describe how valuable mobile apps were to rescuers following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. She later added the contest idea.

"App-E-Feat is more than a year in the making and was inspired by President Clinton's 2013 comments discussing the impact and potential of mobile apps for causes around the world," Panetta said.

App-E-Feat is IEEE's contribution to the Clinton Global Initiative, which "convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges."

App-E-Feat has been well-received in the media, including:

* FOX 5 TV (http://www.myfoxdc.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9862310#.UwZ9wtSt5Io.gmail)

* Mashable (http://mashable.com/2014/02/20/app-e-feat/)

* The Boston Globe (https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/03/08/tufts-prof-professor-sparks-app-contest-for-teens/jzLi6y1yxylMi7UR4aCBeM/story.html)

IEEE-USA serves the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of more than 205,000 engineering, computing and technology professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE.

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SOURCE IEEE-USA (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)