CoolTech Challenge

CoolTech Challenge and Showcase

Demonstrate your tech creativity, design and entrepreneurial skills.

Want to team up with your buddies to do something cool with technology? Interested in competing for a cash prize to support your college expenses and technology interests?

RITE’s CoolTech Challenge is an opportunity for you to join forces with your fellow students in a unique technology-based, peer-to-peer competition.

How does it work?

Your team can select to compete in one of three categories:

Build a functional app
Build a functional website
Design a concept for an app or website

For all categories, your team must be as creative and innovative as possible and develop an idea and a project that can have a real impact on a business or their community, family, school or daily lives. Expert judges from local employers will choose the 1rst, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each of the three competition categories. And the best part – winning teams will receive over 10,000 in cash prizes!

As a CoolTech participant, you and your team can exhibit and pitch your project at the CoolTech Showcase. Exhibiting students also have the opportunity to judge their peers and vote for the “People’s Choice Award”.

The 13th Annual CoolTech Challenge was held on April 23, 2021. See all winners.

Since the first CoolTech Challenge in 2008, more than 1,600 area high school students like you have participated in the annual competition. Stay tuned for information at the end of the year on our next CoolTech Challenge.

Attention Teachers! Learn more about the CoolTech rules and regulations and get your students ready to compete.

The 14th Annual CoolTech Challenge was held on April 12, 2022.

First Place Winners of the 14th Annual Cool Tech Challenge

MOBILE APP

Project: MentalHealth Matters
Students: Joseph Bontempo
School: Padua Franciscan High School
Teacher: Rick Kirkpatrick

WEBSITE

Project: SlothShop
Students: Maddie Baron, Katherine Logue
School: Theodore Roosevelt High School
Teacher: Chris Carman

CONCEPT DESIGN

Project: KPN
Students: Kankanit Kiratikosolrak, Phoebe Shi & Nicole Zhang
School: Solon High School
Teacher: Daniel McKeen

Place	Category	Project Title	School	Student(s) Winners
1st Place	Mobile App	MetalHealth Matters	Padua Franciscan High School	Joseph Bontempo
2nd Place	Mobile App	Nourish	Padua Fransiscan High School	Ava Ward &Elizabeth Shuman
3rd Place	Mobile App	NORO Hackers	North Royalton High School	Jashhvanth Tamilselvan Kunthavai

Place	Category	Project Title	School	Student(s) Winners
1st Place	Website	SlothShop	Theodore Roosevelt High School	Katherine Logue & Madeline Baron
2nd Place	Website	Mar-Lu Business Solution	Excel TECC: Mayfield High School	Spencer McCrae & Artem Zabarovw
3rd Place	Website	Teen Ethics	Trumbell Career and Technical Center	Lily Ramos & Ronald Levak

Place	Category	Project Title	School	Student(s) Winners
1st Place	Concept Design	KPN	Solon High School	Kankanit Kiratikosolrak, Phoebe Shi & Nicole Zhang
2nd Place	Concept Design	NADA	University School	Nate Abbott & Aiden Dumm
3rd Place	Concept Design	Part Time Means	Six District Educational Compact	Sydney Erskine, Jacob Graham & Lucas Chodera

Cash prizes were awarded to the teams that were selected in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each of the three categories:

Place	Awarded Per Team Per Category
1st Place	$1,500
2nd Place	$750
3rd Place	$300

In recognition of former RITE Board Chair, Bill Blausey’s commitment to the young people of Northeast Ohio and their possible careers in IT we award the Bill Blasey People’s Choice award at the CoolTech Showcase each year.