G.R.A.S.P.

Before we became a State Finalist, we submitted a concept idea where students would apply STEM to improve their local community. Here is a sample of the submission: 

"The main concept of the project is for students to design a system that will provide the safest route from one point to another. This concept can be used in conjunction with existing map website such as Google Maps or exist on its own, which can be accessed through a website or a smartphone using QR codes posted on street corners. There are already features on map websites that allow commuters to avoid certain variables, such as tolls and highways. For walking options, the main factors are time and distance. There is a misconception that more populated streets are considered safer, when in fact, they can be one of the heavily targeted areas for crime. In addition, a shorter distance or a faster time does not imply a safe route; therefore, part of this project is bringing awareness about how to travel safer to the community." 

After we were announced as Pennsylvania's State Finalist, we created a three-minute video to show how we executed this project. Here is a sample from the script of the video: 

“The way we figure out how to find the safest route is by using a number scale. Each crime is assigned a number based on its magnitude. Shooting has the highest number of five, robbery four, assault three, and theft two. For each block with no crime, it will be 1 additional point to account for distance and the possibility of future crime. If circles of different crimes overlap, the area of overlap will be the sum of each crime’s respective value. When traveling, all the possible routes that can be taken will be drawn out. Then for each route, add the numbers of the crimes each block traveled is worth. From the sums of the possible routes, whichever route has the lowest sum is the safest route because it has the lowest chance of being exposed to crime.” [See images]

To see our entire project, click on the link below to watch our video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz7gu4eh6NY5OHhBVC1xX0FxX1E/edit?usp=sharing

This website was created by the Samsung "Solve for Tomorrow" STEM group of the Academy at Palumbo. This website is dedicated towards helping people safely walk through South Philadelphia, including our students and community members. We picked this topic to benefit the community using STEM. Please continue reading below to find out more about our work.