TA News

Last week, Thetford Academy students were invited to take on the “Impact App Challenge.” The Challenge, launched in collaboration with the Impactree Foundation, is designed to inspire TA students to identify a key environmental or social problem they see and experience – and to try to solve it through technology.

Impactree founder Ken Kurtzig is interested in student ideas that could help solve an environmental, social justice, or racial justice problem; a gender equity, LGBTQ+, or mental health problem – any problem that could be solved to make the world a better place. Students might develop an idea to solve a recycling issue, or an idea that would address the needs of students who feel isolated or disconnected.

TA is excited to be one of only two high schools invited to participate in this inaugural challenge. It’s an opportunity for students to think creatively about the issues they face every day, and aims to show that big ideas can come to life with determination, self-confidence, and a willingness to try.

Winners of the Impact App Challenge will not be responsible for any engineering or code development, but will oversee app development by a professional remote app development team in collaboration with the Impactree Foundation team and IT professional volunteers. 

Should a TA team win, they will receive: 

• Up to $15,000 in product/project management, app engineering development and industry expert support, sponsored by Impactree Foundation to launch the first version of the app. 
• Professional product management support
• A 4 month internship with Impactree Foundation to develop and launch the app.
• Collaboration with industry experts in various areas of technology development, as well as environmental and/or social impact innovators
• The winning students will be named as the creators of the app and will solely own the app and all associated intellectual property. The app will be managed and maintained by the Impactree Foundation. 

More detailed information about this challenge can be found at k2p.co/app.  Deadline for idea submission is February 28, 2023. Questions? Contact TA’s director of finance and Impact Challenge mentor Ben Bailey at [email protected].