Information Technology Students Design New School District Web Site

03/31/2011

La Plume – Talk about a perfect match. 

Administrators of the Abington Heights School District were seeking a way to modernize their 10-year old web site without investing thousands of dollars needed for a top-scale upgrade.

Three Keystone information technology students were hoping to find a meaningful, community-based project which would provide significant practical experience they could note on their resumes and graduate school applications.

The groups were able to merge their common missions and the result will be a new, attractive and functional school district web site and a challenging project which provides additional credentials that students Nathan Canfield (Scranton), Robert Norton (Hop Bottom) and Steve Sidloski (Dickson City) were hoping to find. The project also demonstrates the students desire to use their talents to benefit the local community in a meaningful way.     

“This has been beneficial for everyone involved,” said Keystone Assistant Professor Stephen Cheskiewicz, who is overseeing the project. “I’m so glad the school district contacted us and I’m really pleased our students have the talent and dedication needed to complete the project.”

Abington Heights Assistant Superintendant Thomas Quinn, Ph.D. said he’s looking forward to seeing the completed web site later this spring. Once the site goes live, the school district will be responsible for updating it with current information. 

“Members of our school board have been interested in updating the district web site for some time,” Dr. Quinn said. “Board member Frank Santoriello recently contacted Keystone for assistance with the project and that’s proven to be a great idea. We’ve met with the Keystone group three times and we’ve really liked what we’ve seen so far. The final product will be a real improvement as we prepare for the 2011-12 school year.”                    

Nathan (a junior), Robert (a sophomore), and Steve (a junior) admit the project has taken up quite a bit of their time during the semester. They’ve spent hours developing the proper coding and other technical specifications, as well as coming up with the best graphic design for the new site.

“When you think about it, this is going to represent the school district to thousands of people, including students, parents, teachers, and anyone else who views the web site,” said Nathan. “The final product will not only benefit the school but will be reflection on us and something we can demonstrate to potential employers when we are looking for jobs. That’s why we’re making sure we do a great job.”

While the project is taking time and effort, the final result will be well worth it.

“They’ve really worked hard,” says Professor Cheskiewicz. “When it’s finally finished, this will be an accomplishment the school district and the students will really be proud of for years to come.”

# # #    

Photo caption: Keystone Assistant Professor Stephen Cheskiewicz (far left) meets with Keystone students (from left) Robert Norton, Steve Sidloski, and Nathan Canfield as they design a new web site for the Abington Heights School District.