BuddyFinder: New Jersey 6th grader creates app that helps children find friends
It's not every day that one hears of a sixth grader having created a mobile app, but 11-year-old Pranav Boddu, who attends Pinebrook School in Manalapan, is on his way to be the next coding mastermind.
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Nov 4, 2022, 2:35 AM
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Updated 708 days ago
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408ds agoA tech-savvy New Jersey sixth grader has created an app that helps users find friends.
The boy is also gaining national acclaim for his coding skills.
It's not every day that one hears of a sixth grader having created a mobile app, but 11-year-old Pranav Boddu, who attends Pinebrook School in Manalapan, is on his way to be the next coding mastermind.
"During the pandemic, there wasn't much to do. My mom knew I was interested in coding," Boddu recalls.
Since his mother knew her son had a knack for technology, she enrolled him in the BYJU's FutureSchool, an online learning platform that teaches math and coding.
Last summer, his teacher asked him to think of a problem that can be resolved by using an app and that's when BuddyFinder was born.
"It's just an app to help children connect with others," Boddu explains.
Hence the name and the idea behind it was sentimental, especially to his mother.
"I think he had a problem connecting with other kids when he was young, making friends. That might have affected him in some way," says his mother Jayalaksh Narayanan.
"I knew that other kids might have the same problem," Boddu says. "The parents can find friends for their children."
Nov. 8 is National STEM day, also known as Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, where students just like Boddu are celebrated.
"You put in your zip code, you put in your interests and hobbies, basic info your name and everything," Boddu says. "You can also create accounts for multiple children."
Boddu is now a finalist in the prestigious Silicon Valley Challenge coding competition.
BuddyFinder is available for download on android phones.
"We're going to get the results in 2023," Boddu says.
When asked what he wants to do when he grows up, Boddu says he absolutely plans to stay in the tech field.
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