Students Turn Educational Board Game into Mobile App to Raise Awareness About Homelessness

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS (USANews.com) – Three high school students, Viraj Sheel and Arnav Gopinath from Stephen F. Austin High School in Sugar Land, Texas, and Konrad Fisher from Michigan, have successfully transformed the impactful educational board game, Home of My Own, into a mobile app. This innovative adaptation is now available on the Apple App Store, marking a significant step forward in raising awareness about homelessness. Home of My Own, originally developed by the nonprofit Fort Bend Family Promise, was designed as a board game to educate players on the complexities and hidden challenges of homelessness. The game immerses players in real-life scenarios that show how easily a family can slide into homelessness due to factors like job loss, medical emergencies, or lack of transportation or documentation. By translating this powerful educational tool into a mobile app, the student developers have made the experience more accessible to today’s youth, furthering the game’s mission of fostering awareness and empathy. "We saw the potential to reach a larger audience through a mobile platform," said Viraj Sheel, one of the student developers. "As students, we may not have had all the skills, but we were determined to make a meaningful impact. We are incredibly grateful to Fort Bend Family Promise for giving us the opportunity to transform a simple idea into something that can help raise awareness for such an important cause." The app, while still in its beta phase, includes features such as a "Donate" button linking directly to Fort Bend Family Promise, encouraging players to take real-world action to help address homelessness. By allowing users to engage with the issue of homelessness interactively, the mobile app aims to increase empathy and understanding in a way that resonates with today’s tech-savvy generation.

The development team acknowledges the support they received from Fort Bend Family Promise throughout the creation process. "They trusted us through the development process despite our inexperience. That belief meant everything to us," shared the team. Their dedication to this cause was recognized in Fall 2024 when they were honored at the Fort Bend Family Promise Annual Fundraiser for their courage, creativity, and compassion. In addition to their recognition at the fundraiser, the students were featured in the Fall 2024 edition of the Fort Bend ISD Magazine, where their efforts were celebrated as part of the district’s ongoing commitment to fostering student leadership and community engagement. The article can be found on page 12 of the magazine.

Despite its simplicity, the app represents something far more significant. It showcases the power of youth-driven innovation and the potential for purpose-driven technology to address societal issues. The students emphasized that their project was never about perfection, but about doing something that matters. "We hope others are inspired to create, care, and act," they stated. The app can be downloaded today on the Apple App Store, and players are encouraged to engage with the game to better understand the complexities of homelessness and contribute to the cause. For more information, watch the game demo here, read the article in the Fort Bend ISD Magazine here (page 12), and watch the Annual Fundraiser where the students were honored here.

Students Turn Educational Board Game into Mobile App to Raise Awareness About Homelessness

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