Northwest Catholic Student Helps Create Smartphone App

Relationships are high on the list of popular topics among today's teens, right up there with technology. Simone Foster-Bey, a senior at Northwest Catholic High School, has been afforded a unique opportunity to impact both of these areas at the same time.

Foster-Bey, a Bloomfield resident, was one of just a few local teens engaged to work with the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence on the development of "td411" - which stands for "teen dating information" — an app that provides tools for teens to develop healthy relationships and avoid unhealthy ones. The app gives teens a high tech way of searching for information they may otherwise be hesitant to request.

"Many teens are reluctant to talk to adults about this, but the app lets them gather information and hear stories from their peers and maybe reach out for help in a confidential way," said Foster-Bey in a release.

Unhealthy teen relationships are all too common. According a 2009 survey by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, 10% of teens said they had been physically abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend, and 17% reported verbal abuse.

The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which was awarded a $45,000 grant to address the issue of teen relationships, collaborated with the Institute for Community Research in Hartford and the Center for Youth Leadership in Norwalk to develop the app. Foster-Bey's role included surveying her peers as well as sharing ideas for the app's content.

The app's final design was completed by Macklin Xu at the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He used the students' ideas to develop separate tabs with surveys, resources, and even music to help teens focus on healthy relationships.

"What I like about the app is it looks like a diary or journal," said Foster-Bey.

The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence's interim executive director, Karen Jarmoc, is excited to be able to provide information about relationships in a teen-friendly format.

Margaret Williamson, Principal and Chief Administrator at Northwest Catholic High School, said in a release that she was "pleased and proud that [Foster-Bey] has shown commitment to such an important issue."