Arlington Heights students showcase innovative apps at John Hersey High School

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - High school students from Arlington Heights had the opportunity to showcase their tech skills by presenting over 70 newly developed apps on Monday.

The innovative creations ranged from a habit tracker and a student productivity maximizer to a unique app for the 2024 yearbook. Students from freshmen to seniors have spent the past three to four months developing their apps.

One standout app, Vision Voice, was created by Halas Wolff to assist individuals with visual impairments. Inspired by his father’s condition, Wolff designed the app to help users by taking pictures of labels or instructions and answering specific questions about them.

"It lets people take a picture of labels or instructions and then they can ask a specific question about it, and it will give them the info about it. He’s used it as I’ve been developing it and given me tips to improve on it that would make it easier for him to use. And it’s helped him be able to prepare frozen meals and stuff by taking the instructions on the back," Wolff said.

The top-ranked apps from John Hersey High School will be presented on Friday at the Apple Store on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, where they will be displayed on a 30-foot screen.