SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — A Parkland High School freshman has built a new app, and it can tell you what items are recyclable.
Parkland School Board on Tuesday recognized Tushar Mehta for being chosen by U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh/Monroe, as the 2022 Congressional App Challenge Winner for Pennsylvania's 7th District in December.
- Parkland School Board recognized student Tushar Mehta after he was chosen as the 2022 Congressional App Challenge Winner for Pennsylvania's 7th District
- His app, RecycleBot, can tell users whether an item is compostable or recyclable using photo analysis. Mehta will present the app in Washington D.C. in April
- In other business, the board voted on revisions to the district Health and Safety Plan for COVID-19
Mehta’s app, RecycleBot, can tell users whether an item is compostable or recyclable using photo analysis.
The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition in which students submit apps they made to their representative’s office. It launched in 2015 to encourage middle and high school students to learn how to code.
Mehta’s app will be featured in the House of Representatives website, and Mehta will attend a reception on Capitol Hill in April for the winners of the challenge, where he will have the opportunity to demonstrate his app.
“As we respond to the collective call to protect our shared environment, RecycleBot offers a practical solution to waste management challenges.”U.S. Representative Susan Wild, D-Lehigh/Monroe
In a statement after choosing Mehta as the winner, Wild said she is “continually blown away” by the talent of the students who submit their apps to her office.
“I am especially impressed with the goals behind this year’s winning app, RecycleBot: improve sustainability and reduce our individual carbon footprints,” Wild wrote. “As we respond to the collective call to protect our shared environment, RecycleBot offers a practical solution to waste management challenges.”
Parkland High School Principal Nate Davidson presented Mehta to the board. He said the Congressional App Challenge is “the most prestigious prize in student computer science.”
Mehta then explained to the board how the app works. He said it can tell users the probability of their item being recyclable or organic.
“This has been used because a lot of people are confused on what their trash actually classifies as,” Mehta said. “And it does improve sustainability because of the percentage of the correct items going into the recycling can.”
“I actually need that in my house,” Board President Carol Facchiano said.
Other business
Parkland School Board also voted on revisions to the district Health and Safety Plan for COVID-19.
The new plan removes a section that states that the administration will take recommendations by the CDC, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Education and its local health care advisors into account when making decisions about masking.
It also removes a section that says wearing a face covering may be subject to change at any time.
The revised plan also says buses will now be disinfected “as needed.” Before, the policy said buses would be disinfected at the end of every day.
During discussions of the revisions, School Board Director Patrick Foose said he does not feel the plan is necessary any longer. Director David Hein said the plan is a requirement from the state.
The revisions were approved 8-1, with Foose dissenting.
Directors also voted on who would be the board representative on the board of directors for Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit #21, an inter-district organization that provide educational and administrative services to schools.
The two candidates for the position were Foose and Director Lisa Roth. Roth had been appointed in the position after the resignation of former Parkland School Board member Marie Maritch in 2021 and has served in the position since.
Foose said he wanted to bring his perspective as someone with a learning disability to the board.
“I firmly believe it is time for someone that is a member of the neurodivergent community to sit on the CLIU board of directors… I understand the learning support community because I was in special education classes and had gone through the public education system needing to advocate for accommodations to be successful,” Foose said.
Roth said being on the board has been a “dream come true” for her. She said she has been involved in a program to provide adaptive bikes to students and is on the committee to find a new executive director for the organization.
“I just would really like to continue my involvement up there on the board," Roth said. "It's a great place to be, and it's just a fantastic organization."
The board voted 7-2 to appoint Roth, with Foose and Roth both voting for Foose.
The board also reviewed budget presentations from Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Lehigh County Technical institute.
The district contribution to Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit will remain the same, while its contribution to Lehigh Carbon Community College will increase about $9,600.
The district contribution to Lehigh County Technical institute will increase $166,823 or 8.82%. The district's total contribution now will be nearly $1.9 million.
