KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City announced today that the University of Kansas coding team, was awarded first place in the seventh annual Kansas City Fed Code-A-Thon. The theme of this year’s competition was to help someone learn code and use it in their everyday life.
The winning KU team developed a program called, Simulearn. Simulearn is an engaging and practical app for users to learn Python, a computer programming language, through smart home devices.
The Kansas City Fed Code-A-Thon is an annual event to encourage and inspire computer science and engineering collegiate students. This year was the highest attended Code-A-Thon since its inception. Eighteen teams, with more than 70 students, competed from around the region. Participants worked throughout the weekend on Feb. 24-23. Teams were judged on innovation, UX/polish, functionality, impact/potential, and presentation. Winners were announced at the awards ceremony on March 10.
This year, second place was awarded to the team from Langston University (Langston, Oklahoma). University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, Missouri) team, won third place.
The Bank also announced awards in the following areas:
- Best use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to Langston University
- Most Unique Solution to Truman State University (Kirksville, Missouri)
- Best Code to University of Central Missouri
- Best Execution to University of Kansas
- Best Presentation to Metropolitan State University (Denver)
Langston University’s Professor Ralph Grayson, was presented the University Champion Award. The award is given to the most committed and engaged faculty in the competition.
Nearly 50 percent of Kansas City Fed employees are IT professionals. Through Code-A-Thon and other programs, the Bank supports STEM education efforts and develops a talent pipeline. Several current Kansas City Fed employees are past Code-A-Thon participants. For information on the Bank’s annual Code-A-Thon, visit External Linkcodeathon.kcfed.org, or email KC.Codeathon@kc.frb.org.
As the regional headquarters of the nation’s central bank, the Kansas City Fed and its branch offices in Denver, Oklahoma City and Omaha serve the seven states of the Tenth District: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, northern New Mexico and western Missouri.
View a PDF of the release PDFhere.