SHARP Literacy

Happy Women's History Month! Hedy Lamarr wasn’t just a stunning Hollywood actress in the '30s and '40s—she was also a brilliant inventor who helped shape modern technology! During World War II in 1942, Hedy teamed up with composer George Antheil to invent a groundbreaking radio signaling device that could switch frequencies to prevent enemies from decoding secret messages. Though never used in war, this idea became the foundation for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and modern radio communication! It was only at the end of 20th century that Hedy was properly recognized, garnering awards right before her death in 2000 for her incredible inventions.

At SHARP, students use the radio function, sound, and Bluetooth capabilities in their coding projects with the Micro:bit. These wireless technologies are built on principles pioneered by Hedy Lamarr’s groundbreaking work in frequency-hopping spread spectrum. Without her contributions, modern wireless communication—including the tools our students use—would not exist. Thanks to innovators like Hedy, our students can explore coding, creativity, and invention, paving the way for future technological breakthroughs!

We are deeply grateful to the sponsors of the Interschool Design Challenge. Your generosity and support make this event—and our Code & Build program—possible, empowering young minds to learn, create, and innovate. Thank you to Fiserv and the Milwaukee Bucks, AO Smith, Associated Bank, Brady, Generac, Milwaukee Tool, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation, and the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation. Thank you for making a difference! 💙🚀

Also a huge shoutout and heartfelt thank you to this year’s incredible Interschool Design Challenge volunteer judges! 🎉👏 Your time, expertise, and enthusiasm played a vital role in making this event a success. From evaluating innovative projects to offering encouragement and valuable feedback, your support truly made a difference in the students' experience. Thank you to Stephanie Brown of TMJ4 News, Gilman of the Milwaukee Bucks, Derek Mosley of Marquette University Law School, FOX6's Ted Perry, Nick Sullivan of BDO, and Stacy Zaja of Northwestern Mutual .

Happy Women's History Month! To kick off our celebration, we're spotlighting Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer. The daughter of renowned poet Lord Byron, Ada received an advanced education, pursuing math and science from a young age. At 17, she met Charles Babbage, the originator of the mechanical computer, and translated his work on the Analytical Engine, adding groundbreaking insights about how coding could process letters and symbols — as well as numbers. She also theorized "looping," a coding method that repeats instructions.
Today, Ada’s legacy lives on in SHARP's Upper Elementary lessons. Whether designing a video game or building a prototype, SHARP students apply the concept of looping block code to repeat functions and streamline their projects!