(BOWIE, Md.) – Can technology be used to connect homeless individuals and families to local shelters? A team of Bowie State University students thinks it’s possible – they have developed an electronic kiosk designed to link people seeking the help of local shelters with up-to-date information about what is available in their community.
They presented an interactive model to the public and members of Congress last week at the Capitol Hill Maker Faire and the much larger National Maker Faire. The BSU team will display their project in a showcase for historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) at both events. Bowie State is one of only nine schools invited to the Capitol Hill Maker Faire, which took place in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The two events celebrated the new movement of invention that is driven by hobbyists and tinkerers. It is hosted by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Congressional Maker Caucus, Maker Media and Nation of Makers. Innovators from across the nation will present their projects that use a range of the latest technologies in computer science and homemade crafts.
The students have spent months researching the needs of communities in Prince George’s County and designing a solution for the homeless population, said Dr. Courtney Lamar, BSU assistant professor of computer science and the project’s leader.
“They have all worked really hard to develop something that is going to positively impact the community using many of the skills and technologies that they use in their coursework,” she said. The students are computer technology majors Ryan Kinney and Benjamin Tasker and computer science major Grace Adewuyi.
Using a mini-computer, wireless Internet adapter and computer monitor, the students built an interactive kiosk, so individuals can access real-time information about which local shelters have available space and resources, like bedding, food or clothing. For the project to be fully implemented, the students propose that the kiosk needs to use reservation software to connect a network of local shelters.
Dr. Lamar said that the process of creating a technology project to solve problems outside of the classroom or the laboratory provides students with valuable hands-on experience, so they can thrive in the workplace. She and other professors in the Department of Computer Science structure their classes to include these kinds of collaborative design projects to help students succeed in the competitive technology field.
“Many students do not graduate from college having created a model of an idea they developed to solve a real-life problem. These students will definitely have an edge on their peers when they enter the workforce,” she said.
MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile
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