Grant Williams Family Foundation Hackathon-For-Good Sends Middle School Winners to NASA Kennedy Space Center
Second Annual Competition Doubles Participation, Demonstrates Growing Interest in Computer Science Education
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – June 24, 2025 – Five Charlotte-area middle school students have returned from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida after winning the Grant Williams Family Foundation's second annual Hackathon-For-Good competition. Team "Bumblebees" earned the top honor for developing "Families Forward Charlotte," a mobile application designed to combat intergenerational poverty by connecting families with vital community resources.
The competition, held April 4, 2025, at UNC Charlotte's William States Lee College of Engineering, challenged 50 middle school students to identify local social needs and develop smartphone app solutions. Students utilized artificial intelligence tools throughout the development process and presented their solutions to judges from the Charlotte business community, providing valuable experience in both technical development and professional communication skills. This year's participation more than doubled from the inaugural 2024 event, which hosted 20 students.
"Our Foundation is committed to empowering young minds to use technology as a force for positive change in their communities," said Gabon Williams, Executive Director of the Grant Williams Family Foundation and UNC Charlotte alumnus. "Seeing these students apply their coding skills to address real-world problems like poverty demonstrates the power of combining technical education with civic engagement."
The winning Bumblebees team included Sydney Flatow, a seventh-grader from Providence Day School, along with sixth-graders Emma Trangsrud, Isabella Stewart, and Geraldine Rosa Marin from Oaklawn Language Academy, and Jay'Ceon Phifer from Walter G. Byers School.
"We built 'Families Forward Charlotte' because we want to end intergenerational poverty," team member Phifer explained during their presentation. The user-friendly mobile app enables Charlotte families to easily locate and access vital resources and donation drives throughout the community.
The Hackathon-For-Good originated from the Foundation's Live to Learn Mentorship Computer Science Coding Afterschool Program, launched in 2022 at Walter G. Byers School. The competition concept emerged when seventh-grader Shirstopher Ulloa proposed applying coding skills to solve community-based problems.
During their NASA Kennedy Space Center visit in June 2025, the winning team experienced hands-on activities with rocketry equipment, immersive simulations, access to space-tested vehicles, and met with an actual astronaut candidate.
"Thank you for working so hard to make the trip to the Kennedy Space Center an unforgettable experience," said team member Sydney Flatow. "Everything about the trip was amazing, and a few of my favorite things were the Apollo exhibits and the Atlantis exhibits."
The Grant Williams Family Foundation, established by NBA player Grant Williams, continues to expand its educational initiatives focused on computer science and community service. The Foundation partners with UNC Charlotte's W.S. Lee College of Engineering to host the annual competition.
The foundation plans to continue growing the Hackathon-For-Good program, building on the demonstrated student interest in combining technology education with community impact initiatives.
About the Grant Williams Family Foundation Founded by NBA player Grant Williams, the Grant Williams Family Foundation is dedicated to educational initiatives that empower young people through technology and community engagement. The Foundation's programs include computer science coding afterschool programs and the annual Hackathon-For-Good competition.
