Chokwe Selassie, aged 13, is working hard to help drivers avoid potholes . The eighth-grader was inspired to kick off his creation on a recent morning, when his mother was driving him to school. Their car was damaged as it went over a huge pothole in the middle of the street in their hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. He decided to do something about the pothole problem in his city. 

Chokwe developed the app with his friends Rodriguez Ratliff and Emmanuel Brooks. When the app detects a pothole, it is highlighted in red. And if you get close to the pothole, your phone will warn you with a beep. Drivers can also use the app to report any potholes and look for other routes they can take to avoid roads that have them. 

The app relies on current available information about the streets of Jackson, already stored in a database of the city's 311 call system. Through the call system, citizens dial 3-1-1 to report non-emergency problems which include potholes. Chokwe and his friends determined that focusing on the 10 busiest streets in Jackson would give them a large enough sample size to test the prototype. 

While developing the app, the boys took part in a Minority Male Makers Program sponsored by Verizon and held at Jackson State University. They learned 3D printing and design, and how to create apps. Through the program Chokwe and his friends received encouragement and guidance. 

Although the app isn't yet available for sale, Chokwe is already looking for ways to improve the app. He hopes to add more to it until it spreads all over the country.
What is Chokwe trying to help people do?
help drivers avoid potholes