Apple’s annual Swift Scholar Problem coding competitors showcases younger expertise whose apps by no means stop to encourage. This yr isn’t any totally different, as Apple profiles 4 coders working to protect cultural heritage, enhance catastrophe preparedness, join astronomy fans and develop academic entry. Meet Swift Scholar Problem winners and their inspiring coding tasks under.
These 4 are a part of a bunch of fifty winners who will attend WWDC25 in individual at Apple Park in Cupertino for a three-day program.
“We’re at all times impressed by the expertise and perspective younger builders deliver to the Swift Scholar Problem,” mentioned Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice chairman of Worldwide Developer Relations. “This yr’s winners present distinctive ability in reworking significant concepts into app playgrounds which are progressive, impactful, and thoughtfully constructed — and we’re excited to assist their journey as they proceed constructing apps that may assist form the long run.”
Meet 4 Swift Scholar Problem winners who hope to vary the world by way of code
Apple’s Swift Scholar Problem this yr drew progressive submissions from college students throughout 38 international locations and areas. Among the many 350 winners, 50 Distinguished Winners received invitations to Apple Park for the Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC). They’ll take part in a three-day expertise together with the dwell June 9 Keynote, knowledgeable studying periods and hands-on labs.
The annual problem invitations college students to create authentic app playgrounds utilizing Swift, Apple’s intuitive coding language. This yr’s profitable submissions exhibit distinctive ability in reworking significant concepts into progressive, impactful and thoughtfully constructed app playgrounds.
Many winners drew inspiration from their native communities to create instruments with potential world impression. 4 Distinguished Winners — Taiki Hamamoto, Marina Lee, Luciana Ortiz Nolasco, and Nahom Worku — exemplify how coding can drive significant change throughout cultural preservation, catastrophe preparedness, scientific exploration and academic entry, Apple mentioned.
Preserving Japanese cultural heritage by way of gaming
Photograph: Apple
When 22-year-old Taiki Hamamoto found that few individuals in his technology knew tips on how to play Hanafuda, a standard Japanese card sport he loved with household, he determined to make use of expertise to protect this cultural custom. His profitable app playground, Hanafuda Techniques, teaches novices the sport’s guidelines and card system whereas honoring its cultural significance.
The sport options 48 playing cards divided into 12 fits representing months of the yr, every illustrated with seasonal vegetation reflecting Japan’s reverence for nature. Whereas sustaining the traditional iconography, Hamamoto modernized the gameplay by incorporating online game parts like hit factors to attraction to youthful generations.
Utilizing SwiftUI’s DragGesture, he created dynamic, responsive results like tilting and glowing playing cards that make gameplay really feel pure and interesting. He’s even exploring making the sport playable on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
“Hanafuda is exclusive in that it permits you to expertise the surroundings and tradition of Japan,” Hamamoto defined. “I would like customers of my app to really feel immersed in it, and I need to protect the sport for generations to come back.”
Creating emergency assets for pure catastrophe preparedness
Photograph: Apple
When wildfires unfold throughout Los Angeles earlier this yr, Marina Lee obtained an pressing name about her grandmother needing to evacuate. The 21-year-old USC laptop science pupil realized there was a necessity for accessible emergency assets for much less tech-savvy customers like her grandmother. She panicked about what to pack and tips on how to keep knowledgeable.
Lee’s answer, EvacuMate, helps customers put together emergency checklists for evacuations. The app integrates with iPhone’s digital camera roll for importing vital paperwork and imports emergency contacts from the person’s contact listing. It additionally consists of assets on checking air high quality ranges and assembling first-aid kits.
As Lee refines her app, she’s specializing in accessibility by including assist for various languages — notably vital for her grandmother, who isn’t snug studying English.
“Coding is a lot extra than simply creating software program,” mentioned Lee, who hosts hackathons along with her group Citro Tech and mentors for USC Ladies in Engineering. “It’s actually the friendships you construct, the group you discover, and the problem-solving journey that empower you to make a distinction.”
Constructing group amongst astronomy fans
Photograph: Apple
Luciana Ortiz Nolasco is simply 15 years previous, however her ardour for astronomy started when she obtained a telescope for her eleventh birthday. Residing in closely industrialized Nuevo León, Mexico, she confronted two challenges: smog that obscured star visibility and lack of fellow fans. Finally discovering group within the Astronomical Society of Nuevo León, she would journey to the countryside on weekends to view stars extra clearly.
These experiences impressed her app playground BreakDownCosmic. It’s a digital gathering place the place astronomy fans can add upcoming astronomical occasions to their calendars, earn medals for finishing “missions” and chat with fellow astronomers about their observations.
“Swift could be very straightforward to be taught, and utilizing Xcode could be very intuitive,” Ortiz Nolasco explains. “More often than not, it might appropriate me if I had an error. I didn’t need to spend time searching for hours and have it prove to simply be a small error I neglected.”
After attending WWDC, she plans to proceed creating BreakDownCosmic with the objective of ultimately launching it on the App Retailer.
“I would like individuals to really feel like they’re occurring a journey by way of area once they log into my app,” she mentioned. “The universe is filled with mysteries now we have but to find, and infinite potentialities.”
Increasing academic entry by way of machine studying
Photograph: Apple
Nahom Worku’s journey to turning into a developer spans continents and experiences. Rising up in Ethiopia earlier than shifting to Canada, the 21-year-old York College pupil witnessed firsthand what number of college students lacked high quality schooling and dependable web entry. In the course of the pandemic, he found coding by way of books and joined Black Children Code, ultimately turning into a mentor himself.
Whereas engaged on a United Nations Sustainable Growth Purpose venture centered on high quality schooling, Worku created AccessEd, an app playground designed to supply studying assets that work with or with out Wi-Fi connectivity.
Constructed utilizing Apple’s machine studying and AI instruments, together with Core ML and the Pure Language framework, the app delivers personalised studying experiences by recommending programs primarily based on a pupil’s background. It might even analyze pictures of handwritten notes to create flash playing cards and features a job administration system with notifications to assist college students steadiness tutorial and household duties.
“I hope my app will encourage others to discover how trendy applied sciences like machine studying can be utilized in progressive methods, particularly in schooling, and the way they will make studying extra partaking, efficient, and pleasant,” says Worku.
Meet Swift Scholar Problem winners: The subsequent technology of builders
Over the previous 5 years, Apple’s Swift Scholar Problem has helped hundreds of contributors from around the globe construct profitable careers, discovered companies and create organizations centered on democratizing expertise. This system continues to exhibit Apple’s dedication to nurturing various expertise and progressive considering amongst younger builders who’re utilizing expertise to handle significant challenges of their communities and past.
For extra details about the Swift Scholar Problem, go to developer.apple.com/swift-student-challenge.
Supply: Apple
