Harrisburg Literacy Project

Student: Madeline (Wiegel) Olivas, 2018-2019

Sponsor: Paul Mahoney, Harrisburg, PA

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has extensive socio-economic issues (i.e. low median household income, high unemployment rates, high juvenile crime rates, etc.) that have been steadily getting worse with no improvement in sight. At the root cause of these issues is the education system in the Harrisburg area, and in particular, problematic illiteracy rates. This project will look at what problems currently exist in the Harrisburg community school’s education systems and in the community as a whole. By completing a comprehensive analysis of users and the market, a technological solution will be developed that addresses the problems discovered while maintaining financial sustainability and adaptability to the changing needs of classrooms/educators. The project will focus on intervention during early elementary school years to maximize impact potential in the students' futures.