The Precise Foundation partners with LearnServe International to run innovative social impact Hackathon

    WASHINGTON, DC, March 22, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On Friday, March 18, The Precise Foundation partnered with LearnServe International to guide 22 students from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and academic backgrounds through a virtual Hackathon – a process that helps students become social entrepreneurs.

The Hackathon invited students from seven Washington, DC schools to come together and work with a team of their peers to learn the basics of problem-solving systemic issues in their communities. Participating schools included Girls Global Academy, Sidwell Friends School, The Potomac School, Maya Angelou Public Charter School, DC International School, School Without Walls High School, and Central High School. Each team worked with LearnServe's trained facilitators for a 3-hour session, beginning with a small idea and going on to develop a full-fledged solution to a community issue centered around the following questions:

1. How might we ensure that every student in DC has better access to a high-quality STEM education and/or strong STEM-based learning opportunities?
2. How might we inspire young people from underrepresented demographics to pursue and remain long-term in STEM-based careers?

LearnServe International is a Washington, DC-based non-profit that equips middle and high school students from diverse backgrounds with the entrepreneurial vision, tenacity, confidence, and leadership skills needed to tackle social challenges at home and abroad. LearnServe envisions a world in which every student graduates from high school with the vision of a leader, the tenacity of an entrepreneur, and the passion of a changemaker.

During the event, the LearnServe team engaged students in meaningful discussions around these important social issues and taught them social entrepreneurship and the art of problem-solving in a process of exploring and understanding the given topics. In the culmination of the day's Hackathon, the students were asked to work as a team to pitch and present their solutions to a panel of esteemed judges, including two technical experts from Precise Software Solutions, Inc. The student solutions ranged from creating "STEM kits" that engage students in fun activities that stimulate interest in STEM learning to inviting inspirational speakers to speak about the exciting opportunities a STEM-based education can provide.

Jeff Page, VP of Operations at Precise, commented that "It was very impressive to watch the Hackathon roll out, and to see the sophistication and thoughtfulness behind the LearnServe training model… What was truly awe-inspiring was to see what the student participants were able to accomplish in a matter of hours… You have to recognize that there are a lot of us adults out in the world who haven't yet found elegant solutions to our complex social problems. And yet, these young men and women came up with innovative, actionable, and impactful ideas for how to bring about meaningful change in our community."

LearnServe director Scott Rechler expressed his appreciation for the support offered by The Precise Foundation, writing, "Thank you for trusting our team with helping shape the community impact of The Precise Foundation. The students today were so enthusiastic and energized – with such creative ideas to share…We're hoping many of the students who participated today will consider joining our LearnServe summer program or Fellows Program in the fall!"

Many Precise employees attended the Hackathon pitches, and all were left excited and inspired by The Precise Foundation-LearnServe collaboration.

About Precise:
Precise Software Solutions, Inc. (Precise), an SBA 8(a) program participant, is an innovative small business with a proven record of success delivering quality services and solutions to government organizations. A CMMI Level 3 company, Precise serves as a trusted advisor to senior technology executives and helps government agencies enhance and expand their information technology capabilities. Precise helps their customers capitalize on the efficiencies offered by technological advancements and ensures the integrity of their IT systems and programs so they can perform their public mission more effectively. The company is known for delivering agile and innovative solutions and specializes in strategic consulting, system modernization and integration, digital transformation and experience, infrastructure and cloud implementation, and data management and analytics. Visit Precise at www.precise-soft.com.

About The Precise Foundation:
The Precise Foundation is a non-profit organization with a charitable mission to promote equal access to education (particularly STEM education) by providing scholarship grants and promoting educational activities. The Foundation seeks to offer support to individuals who are interested in pursuing an education or career in the computer science/engineering field, and who are members of underprivileged communities or those that are underrepresented in the computer science/engineering industries, such as women, minorities, new immigrants, low income or otherwise disadvantaged individuals.

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