TGHS students boost peers’ spirits with email list

Setting up an email list to send positive reinforcements to people battling depression has won two 15 year olds an inaugural technology award.

Timaru Girls’ High School students Stacey Ramsay, left, and Alex Howden took the top prize in Tahi Rua Toru Tech’s new Bronze Challenge – which pits New Zealand’s year 9 and 10 students against each other to solve a problem in their school or community using digital technologies.

Stacey said she and Alex, whose team name was Aesthetic Armadillo, were spurred to create the email list after growing concerned at the number of their peers struggling with high school stresses.

‘‘Being in an all-girls’ school, sometimes you see a lot of people crying,’’ Stacey said.

People can sign up to receive uplifting messages on the website aesthetic armadillo.wixsite.com. The website’s opening blurb addresses those affected by ‘‘depression, anxiety, a recent heartbreak’’, or who ‘‘just want a little ray of sunshine in [their] pocket’’.

‘‘We can’t promise immediate, permanent results but we are aiming to uplift your emotions and help you on your road to recovery,’’ the website says.

Tahi Rua Toru Tech project coordinator Victoria Reille said Stacey and Alex had ‘‘excellent vision’’ and were encouraged to keep pushing with the project to turn it into a mobile app.

‘‘Their mindset and what they want their website to achieve is amazing.’’

TGHS digital technology teacher Joyce Shankar-Kay said she was proud of how self-driven the girls were.

‘‘It gave them this opportunity to be curious and problem-solve and didn’t tell them this is just what you have to do,’’ Shankar-Kay said.