Amplify Continuous Learning Grant

Through the past six months, I have launched a community outreach project for pantries severely affected due to an increased burden in food: “Sponsor-A-Basket.” While envisioning the global crisis of hunger, I devised a plan that raised over $10,000 in food for ten pantries. We cleared BJ’s shelves of beans and cereal boxes and had suspectful eyes staring at us as if we were thieves. After each week of distributing food, many pantry owners expressed how the process revolved around shopping on a first come first serve basis. Additionally, I have been learning three new languages of computer science. One of which has been DrRacket, a Northeastern University college course. I developed an interactive tank-shooter game which shot missiles on-click towards the target. The other languages which I am learning on my own is Python and the final class is AP Computer Science A, Java. In Java, I created a Chess game engine using object oriented programming with all of the chess pieces (queen, bishop, knight, rook, pawn, king). Using my prior knowledge of computer science, my plan is to integrate computer science with community service and proceed with the development of a website. Through the grant, I would like to develop a website with a custom domain and portal for each food pantry. In this way, there will be a formal method of distributing food for each family. Food pantries will update the list with foods available. Then, families will shop for the items that they need. Accordingly, food pantries will be able to arrange for food to be distributed in a uniform method, can prevent crowding, and can prevent rush hour. This will be a great extracurricular project to advance my knowledge and gain a deeper insight into website development. I can work on the integration between json files and java files. There will be much to gain and will be a teaching lesson with immense benefits. The numerous benefits will offer much personal development and will serve as an invaluable tool for pantries. They will offer the portal with different tabs addressing unique parts of their pantry. There will be an about, contact info, hours, and the portal all on the various tabs. Through the grant, food pantries will have the capabilities of much development and will be able to switch to a virtual program effective for decades to come.

I come from Ghana, a country in West Africa. Ghana used to be called Gold Coast, and the population is about 30.42 million. I used to wake up each day at 5 am: I would sweep a huge compound; get ready for school, and return home from school around 6 pm. We children always devoted ourselves to school and nothing else. I was in a good household; I did not have to sleep on the streets or worry about what I would eat when I came back home from school. Other kids my age, however, slept on the streets and had nothing to eat. Most of these kids are orphans who are outcasted by society and have nowhere to go. When I was still back in my country, I would sometimes give a loaf of bread or a pack of biscuits to these kids. I felt guilt towards them because I lived in comfort while they struggled to live past every day. Afterward, my mom and dad got approved to have my younger brother and me join them in the United States. Being able to come to the United States has been the biggest blessing in my life. I have been lucky enough to have this world full of possibilities open to me; again, I felt guilty because not all children were fortunate like I was to have parents in the United States. I have been here for almost four years now: my goal is to go back and help these children. I got introduced to Computer Science and coding during my first year in the United States. I became interested in all it encompassed and learned more about how it aids our daily lives. Last year, I launched my own company- Infinite Love; Infinite Love has five divisions- Make and Create with Love; Code with Love; Star with Love; Entrepreneur with Love; and Love You, Too. Recently, I have been working on initiating Code with Love. Code with Love is a project under Infinite Love. What I aim to do with Code with Love is educate these children in Computer Science. I hope I can help them have better prospects. Getting this grant will help me further my education and also launch the project. I will be able to approach more companies for funding for these children. Though I know about Computer Science, I am yet to become a licensed programmer. I hope to further my studies in Computer Science and teach these children the knowledge I learn. The future programmers and Computer Scientists who may build the next big thing could come from Ghana.