Elpida is a dynamic Grade 6 student at Branksome Hall with a remarkable passion for technology, coding and innovation. Since joining Branksome in Grade 1, she has grown into a young leader in digital creativity, discovering and nurturing her love for coding through the school’s supportive and resource-rich environment.

Branksome has given me so many opportunities to explore my interests in a really individualized way,” she says. “It isn’t what you’d find in another school.

Elpida’s journey into app development began in Grade 4 when one of her teachers introduced her to Swift, Apple’s programming language. From that moment on, she was hooked. “Swift let me turn my ideas into real tools to help people,” she explains. As part of the Noodle Junior entrepreneurship program, she founded her own company, Smousey, and has since developed two educational apps: StatCode, which introduces kids to the basics of coding, and Aceademic, which helps young learners build their time management and self-regulation skills through interactive activities. “I wanted to create something that could support kids who might not have access to the same curriculum I’ve been lucky to have,” she says.

Branksome’s emphasis on inquiry-based learning and its embrace of student-driven innovation have been instrumental in Elpida’s growth. Programs like robotics have given her real-world platforms to apply her skills, while dedicated teachers have helped her bring her ideas to life, offering extra support, feedback and even time during recess to fine-tune her work. “I’m really grateful to my teachers. They believed in me and supported me every step of the way,” she shares.

With the opening of Branksome’s new iCAST facility, Elpida is excited about the future.

iCAST will take everything to a whole new level,” she says. “It means more resources, more participation and even bigger possibilities for students like me who want to innovate.

Elpida’s dream is to continue developing tools that empower other young learners and help shape the future of education and technology. “I want to make way for the next generation of innovation,” she says confidently, and at just 11 years old, she’s already well on her way.