Middleton High School Senior Radhika Gupta is developing an app to help high school students organize information from the clubs and activities they are involved in. With nearly 100 clubs and organizations for students to join at Middleton High School, Gupta learned it can be overwhelming.
“I came up with the idea of this app because of personal experience,” Gupta said. “The clubs I was a part of sent information on different apps, making it difficult for me to track when I had a club meeting and for what club. Additionally, I noticed that it was difficult to learn about clubs I wasn’t already involved in, especially if I missed the one-day club fair.”
Gupta recently earned a Cardinal’s Journey award for her work on the app, and her efforts were recognized at an April Board of Education meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Dana Monogue nominated her for the award, noting, “She has been working on the app for almost a year. She saw a problem that needed to be solved – students being bombarded with information on a variety of platforms – and created a one-stop solution that will be attractive to high school students across the country!”
Gupta explained how the app, called MHS Clubs, works.
“The first time you launch the app, it forces you to sign in using your school account to verify that you are a student or staff member in the district,” Gupta said. “After this verification, the app shows you all the clubs at MHS that are available for you to join.”
She said the app lists a description, advisor and contact information for each organization. It includes an announcements section, where advisors can send messages to students. It also allows users to create a “My Clubs” list.
“By doing this, you will be able to see upcoming meeting times on the calendar section of the app, where club advisors or leaders can add events to the linked Google Calendar, allowing anyone who has added that club to be able to see these events,” Gupta said.
Gupta is working with MCPASD Director of Technology Services Brian Miles to publish the app, and they’re working to overcome a few hurdles.
“I’m not currently 18 years old yet, which makes the publishing process tricky because of age restrictions,” Gupta said. “I have been working closely with Mr. Miles to figure out a solution to this.”
Their goal is to launch the app before the end of the school year.
“Radhika has been working as a Youth Apprentice for the Technology Services this school year,” Miles said. “She has been an amazing addition to our department. She has an amazing ability to identify problems and come up with great solutions. I am really excited to see what she does in the future.”
Gupta will graduate in June, and she plans to attend Cornell University and major in computer science or biomedical engineering. She would like to connect with younger Middleton High School students to continue her work on the app.
“I am looking to partner with a team of students younger than me, in order to pass it on,” Gupta said. “I am also hoping to create an App Club where students can learn how to create apps, with the goal that MHS Clubs can be a school project for students to take part in and learn.”
Students interested in working on the MHS Clubs app, or developing other apps, can email Mr. Miles at bmiles@mcpasd.k12.wi.us.