T.D. Jakes Foundation, Dallas Mavericks and Goldman Sachs Announce Winners of Two-Week Hackathon

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Jun 28, 2022, 08:17 ET

Six students won for developing an app that helps people suffering from mental illness get the help they need

DALLAS, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- T.D. Jakes Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to building bridges to opportunity for underserved populations around the world, has named six winners of its third annual STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) Academy program, which was presented as a free, two-week immersive 'Hackathon' that challenged students, ages 14 to 18, to solve complex problems.

Presented by the Dallas Mavericks and powered by Goldman Sachs, the 'Hackathon' included 386 high school students — 142 attended in-person and 244 students participated virtually from 24 U.S. states as well as Bermuda, Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, Malaysia, Namibia, South Africa, United Kingdom and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Throughout the two weeks, students worked alongside Goldman Sachs engineers, who guided them through the engineering process, including how to ideate, prototype an idea and communicate with impact.

"Our goal with our STEAM Academy is to create that spark that can lead students to career paths that they might have not have ever considered," said President and CEO of T.D. Jakes Foundation, Hattie Hill. "We want to provide exposure to our young people, so they will know the kinds of job opportunities that exist."

Participating together as Team Flourish, the six winners were Dallas area high school students: Caleb Cox,15, Gabriel Crutchfield, 18, Savannah Crutchfield, 17, Katelyn Demars, 15, Ju-Sky Dunn, 14, and Alan Samineedi, 16. The team, who competed against four other top groups, developed an app to help people suffering from mental illness get the help they need.

"I actually didn't even know what engineering was until I joined," said Caleb Cox of Cedar Hill. "But now that the program is over and we won, I think I might give engineering a try. I really liked how Goldman Sachs ran the program!"

The winners will be invited to attend a Dallas Mavericks game, where they will watch the action on the court compliments of Goldman Sachs.

At the kick-off event on June 6, Chairman T.D. Jakes told students, "This is a bridge I want you to cross — and have a good time crossing over it. It's going to change your life."

In addition to the 'Hackathon' competition, STEAM Academy students participated in a Q&A session with Goldman Sachs Co-Chief Information Officer George Lee, who explained how important STEAM skills will be to achieving success in the 21^st century workforce.

"Regardless of your career, your job is going to become a tech job," Lee said. "If you want to build code and write software—that's awesome—if not, you still need to know how this world works. The language of tech is going to make you successful no matter what you do."

"We are honored to be presenting STEAM Academy again," said Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. "Over the past three years, we have seen the immense and life-changing impact this program has on the students who go through it, and it's a privilege to partner with T.D. Jakes Foundation on yet another innovative experience."

For more information about STEAM Academy, please visit: https://tdjfoundation.org/steam-academy/

About T.D. Jakes Foundation
Founded by Chairman T.D. Jakes in 2020, T.D. Jakes Foundation (TDJF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to building bridges to opportunity for underserved populations in the United States and around the world. The Foundation aims to create a generational legacy of success for those it serves by providing access to the skills and resources needed for success in the modern workplace and forging partnerships with private companies, nonprofits, and public organizations to amplify the impact of every initiative. Building on Chairman Jakes' 45 years of connecting diverse communities across socio-economic divides, TDJF is focused on uplifting communities, educating people of all ages on STEAM subjects, and connecting corporations to new, highly-skilled pools of talent amid increasing global competition. For more information, visit: www.tdjfoundation.org.

Contact
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SOURCE T.D. Jakes Foundation