Two students from Prospect High School were named top innovators in the state by a program sponsored by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Keaton Keller and Jack McDermott, seniors at Prospect High School, are two of 20 students that were honored for implementing innovative ideas in the community. The program is called Celebrating High School Innovators and the winners receive $500 to fund a “positive impact project” in their community, according to a Township High School District 214 press release.
McDermott, who has worked on the school’s newspaper for three years and is now the on-line editor-in-chief, has significantly changed and improved the newspaper’s website, prospectornow.com, officials said. Keller has created a You Tube channel to give people advice on their next technology-based purchase.
“He has served in many different roles,” said Jason Block, journalism teacher at Prospect High School, of McDermott. “He really gravitated toward the website.”
Block said that McDermott has turned the high school newspaper’s website from something with infrequent posts to a daily operation with breaking news, video and more.
“It really took someone to take ownership of it,” said Block, who said McDermott really saw the potential of web journalism. McDermott thought differently and instead of being scared of changes, he embraced them, Block said.
McDermott said he saw the on-line newspaper as an effective way for students, families and community members to know what is going on at Prospect High School at all times.
“I was pretty surprised,” said McDermott, about winning the innovator award. He plans to use the $500 prize to purchase a camera to take photos for the newspaper’s website, he said.
Over on YouTube, Keller’s channel has grown to 350,000 subscribers. He said what started as a hobby a few years ago turned into an Internet company. Keller gives his opinions on various products related to technology, such as cell phones and drones. On his YouTube channel, Keller compares products and talks about hardware, design and other features.
“I plan to use the money to offer a scholarship at my high school,” said Keller. “I’d love to give back.”
Keller said the most challenging part of his business is taking himself out of his own bubble and putting himself in his viewers’ shoes as consumers.
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Both students have been invited to attend a two-day Innovation Celebration in May on the university campus in Urbana-Champaign. The Celebrating High School Innovators program is endorsed by various Illinois teachers associations, the Governor’s office and the regional superintendents of schools.
According to the press release, part of the goal of the program is to think of ways to integrate creative problem solving and innovation into the state curriculum and to acknowledge students who are innovative, without considering their grade point average or test scores.