2016 -- S 2429

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LC004313

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING THE WESTERN HILLS STEM CLUB MEMBERS ON BEING

AWARDED THE "BEST IN STATE" TITLE AT THE 2015-2016 VERIZON APP

CHALLENGE FOR THEIR SMART APP

     Introduced By: Senators Lombardi, McCaffrey, Gallo, and Miller

     Date Introduced: February 11, 2016

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, The Verizon Innovative App Challenge was launched to cultivate creative

thinking in students, grades 6 through 12 in public, private or parochial schools or 6th through

12th grade students participating through any nonprofit group or club, in order to produce an app

to solve today's problems; and

     WHEREAS, For the third year in a row, students participating in the Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Club, at Western Hills Middle School, have earned

the "Best in State" title, as well as a $5,000 cash award for an app developed by the school's team;

and

     WHEREAS, Under the guidance of faculty advisor Michael Blackburn, this year's team,

comprised of eighth-graders Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, Isabella Corso, Ethan Wu, Madison Drezek, and

Lexi Lombardi, won the 2015-2016 Verizon App Challenge for their SMART app, which is the

acronym for "Send Me A Ride Tonight"; and

     WHEREAS, The noble intention of this app is to "help make a difference in the lives of

others by helping to secure youths a safe way out of an unsafe situation as easily as playing with

an app on a smart phone"; and

     WHEREAS, It is essential and fitting to recognize the triumphs of our youth and to

celebrate the accomplishments of our future leaders. Members of the STEM Club, at Western

Hills Middle School are remarkable young people and they are truly deserving of our recognition

and praise; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby congratulates the Western Hills STEM Club members on being awarded the "Best in

State" title at the 2015-2016 Verizon App Challenge for their SMART app. We furthermore urge

all the citizens of this state to support the STEM Club by voting to name them "Fan Favorites" by

texting SMART1 or SMART2 to 22333; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Michael Blackburn, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, Isabella

Corso, Ethan Wu, Madison Drezek, and Lexi Lombardi.

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LC004313

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