On June 10, ten teams from different Latvian schools took part in the final of the Programming Competition for Secondary School Students. The first place went to a team of students from different schools – Roberts Legzdiņš from Riga Technical College, Dāvis Ērglis from Riga Engineering Secondary School and Mareks Ulmanis from Riga State Gymnasium No.1. The students presented Spotloc, a mobile app that has already been developed and uses artificial intelligence algorithms to find and recommend local entertainment options, events, nature trails and places of interest according to each user’s individual preferences. The app already has more than 1000 users.
The aim of the programming competition was to draw public attention to the value of learning programming at secondary school by showcasing projects developed during the school year in the subject Programming I or II. In Round 1 of the competition, students submitted short videos of their idea and solution. From the 27 entries, 10 teams were selected to submit their code and technical documentation for further evaluation. In the final round, students had five minutes to present their solution to the jury in person and answer their questions.
The first prize winners each received a €500 gift voucher for technology purchases at LMT customer centers and a 10% discount on Bachelor of IT and Leadership studies at Riga Business School. The second prize winners each received a €350 gift card, and the third prize winners received a €150 gift card for technology purchases at Tet stores. The teachers of the first three prize winners received a €100 gift card.
We gained new experience, had a great opportunity to use our presentation skills, met new friends, as well as improved our programming and team management skills during the project development. In the future, we will start a business, develop the idea, and attract more event organizers to our app.
Roberts Legzdiņš, Spotloc team member
The second place went to Mareks Brucis, Reinis Survila and Pēteris Teodors Skrastiņš from RTU School of Engineering with the solution “Phosys”. This is a simple and user-friendly online photonics simulator, which aims to stimulate interest in this field of science and help people to learn it.
Third place went to Daniels Rudovičs, Kristers Korkls and Maksims Borovikovs from Rezekne State Gymnasium No. 1 with their solution “Tālvadības gaismu pults” (Remote Control of Lights). It is a stage lighting control panel with the advantages of compactness, simple user interface and remote control of light sources.
The other teams that took part in the final also showcased outstanding performance:
- Py Candles: a semi-automated candle production tracking system with the ability to categorize production and identify defective items – Kristaps Mihelsons, Ventspils State Gymnasium No. 1.
- IdeaDraw: An app that helps develop creative drawing skills for those who lack the inspiration or focus to continue improving their skills. – Gundars Matīss Melderis, Pauls Odins Šmits, Sindija Īle, Valmiera Pārgauja State Gymnasium.
- CloudFridge: A web app for keeping track of the products in the fridge and their expiry dates with the aim of reducing the user’s food waste. – Dāvids Bižāns, Riga State Gymnasium No. 1.
- Robot Control Panel: a web-based control panel for autonomous robots with the ability to compare and analyze machine learning algorithms. – Ingus Roberts Valheim, Siguldas město vidusskola.
- Green Valley: a website to promote products from local farmers and producers and connect them with potential customers. – Ritvars Vjakse, Jāņa Eglīša Preiļi State Gymnasium.
- Offline Graphing Calculator: A user-friendly graphing calculator program that can perform mathematical calculations without an internet connection – Iļja Safronovs, Iļja Volinskis, Riga State Classical Gymnasium.
- OriBot: Multifunctional Telegram bot, an everyday assistant with planning, weather, and MI chat functions – Timur Yerchak, Ivan Minaev, Riga Zolitude Gymnasium.
Thank you to the programming teachers who encouraged the young people to take part in the competition and supported them in the final: Natalia Karatun, Artūrs Ķempelis, Edgars Žogots, Evelīna Macijevska, Juris Erts, Tatjana Lukjanova, Vairis Caune Aija Lūse, Māra Ozola un Rolands Krumbergs.
Such competitions break the perception that only a few youngsters are interested in programming, because it can actually be exciting and interesting to solve relevant problems in society, at school and elsewhere. The entries and the winners show that young people care about finding solutions by thinking outside the box, so I am happy that Tet is a part of the Riga Business School’s competition and gives young people extra motivation to compete for prizes and show their best work. We have and will continue to support such meaningful projects to motivate young people to study STEAM subjects in a meaningful way.
Uldis Tatarčuks, Tet Chairman of the Board
LMT’s team of experts evaluated the projects submitted by students for the Programming Contest with interest and enthusiasm. The ideas and their implementation show that we have a strong and talented generation of young professionals who are able to creatively approach different problem situations and look for unconventional solutions. The participation in the competition is an important step, but it is equally important that young people do not stop at what they have already achieved, but continue to seek new challenges, educate themselves, and cooperate with other specialists in various fields to develop new, promising projects that will bring Latvia’s name to the world.
Juris Binde, President of LMT
The programming contest is one of the initiatives through which Riga Business School as a structural unit of Riga Technical University, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Economy, LMT, and Tet, hopes to attract even more young people to the field of programming and to strengthen the learning of technology not only in higher education but also in schools.
The event recording is available on Riga Business School Facebook page.
