Paramus—It is estimated that 56 billion smartphone apps will be downloaded in the year 2013. Benji Cooper, Amitai Cohen and Benny Weisbrot, juniors at the Frisch School, who know about social media, decided to dip their toes into the booming app world.
Two years ago, Mrs. Tikvah Weiner founded RealSchool, a club at Frisch where students use their passions and talents to collaborate with others and produce projects and events of value in the “real” world. After forming “teams” based on common interests, students work on together on one project all year long and see to its fruition. Since it began, RealSchool has grown significantly, running many programs for Frisch, including an annual fashion show, Green-a-thon and Green Day.
After joining RealSchool, the above entrepreneurs created an app making team, hoping to develop an original idea that would be helpful to their peers and teachers. Their inspiration came after hearing constant complaints from students at Frisch about how difficult it was to use the Frisch portal on a cell phone, and the continuous requests for an easier way to navigate one’s day. They were set on finding a solution.
With no background knowledge on how to code apps, design apps and market a new product, Benji, Amitai and Benny had to start from scratch. “It was a very difficult process, but it was also rewarding,” Benny said. Over a year-long process, Benji, Amitai and Benny worked together, with help from Mrs. Weiner and other members of RealSchool, to create an app called the “Frisch Helper.”
The Frisch Helper is designed to do exactly what it sounds like. For students at Frisch, parents of Frisch students, faculty, and even prospective parents who wish to get a feel of the Frisch day, the “Frisch Helper” helps with your Frisch experience. The app includes a section that informs users of teachers’ absences, which is updated every morning. In addition, there is the Frisch portal. Introduced to students, teachers and parents last year, it allows easy access to student’s homework assignments, report cards, upcoming quizzes and tests, recorded absences and schedules. Though the website was a big success, it was extremely hard to work with on a cellular device. Now the “Frisch Helper” is a mobile device-friendly portal.
Benji, Amitai and Benny successfully used technology to solve a problem for many people. They made it possible for Frisch students to get vital information “at their fingertips.” With information more easily accessible, students should have more time to apply to studying. As for the ambitious inventor-trio, having mastered new skills? They hope to create many more apps in the future.
By Rachel Sperber
