Ethiopian Student Wins Apple’s Prize Swift Student Challenge
Nahom Worku, a 21-year-old Ethiopian student at York University, is one of Apple’s Swift Student Challenge winners thanks to his innovative educational application, Access Ed. His app provides students in Ethiopia with consistent internet access, enabling them to utilize educational tools, according to Apple.
Worku’s inspiration
Growing up in Ethiopia, Worku frequently experienced unreliable internet access and observed the scarcity of quality education among many students. His app, Playground AccessEd, has solutions for both issues. So, he created an application that stores all user data and learning materials locally on a device, allowing it to function without Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
The application features several advanced capabilities, including a personalized onboarding process that allows students to add their academic backgrounds and interests. The machine learning model will then recommend suitable courses. Access Ed also allows students to take pictures of their written notes, and the app then automatically generates digital flashcards.
Woku meeting Apple’s Tim Cook
He is one of only 50 winners of Apple’s prestigious Swift Student Challenge and one of just 11 invited to present their work in person to CEO Tim Cook at Apple’s California headquarters, who praised the ingenuity of the app.
Woku is currently studying computer engineering, having taught himself to code during the pandemic. He recently gained an internship as an iOS developer at CIBC.
“I hope my app will inspire others to explore how modern technologies like machine learning can be used in innovative ways, especially in education, and how they can make learning more engaging, effective, and enjoyable,” he says.
Image: Apple
