Next Stop: Real-World Solutions! One student’s hands-on learning experience is changing the game for Eden Prairie Schools bus drivers and riders

Aiden Boudreau was nervous as he stepped up to the simple podium in the window-lit room. He’d never given a presentation to such a large audience before, let alone one made up entirely of adults. The Eden Prairie Schools Transportation team had gathered that day in late May to hear the then-11th grader’s presentation about a mobile app he’d developed — and was hoping could be of use to the district. “Thank you guys for having me,” he started. “I’ve been working on this app for the past few months. It’s been a ton of fun, and I’m really excited to show it to you guys.”

As part of the iOS App Development Capstone at Eden Prairie High School, Aiden had built the “EPHS Activity Bus Finder,” an app designed to help students more easily find the correct bus to ride home from extracurricular activities. Up to that point, CMS and EPHS students who participated in activities after school had to compare tables of bus stops to a large map of Eden Prairie in order to find the bus that would drop them off closest to home. It wasn’t an ideal system, leaving many students confused and requiring bus drivers to adjust their route when a student got on the wrong bus. It was the perfect challenge for the iOS App Development Capstone. “We like to investigate an EPHS student’s daily life and see what problems exist that could be solved using a mobile app,” said Zach Hanson, the Capstone teacher (and occasional bus driver). “Aiden jumped onto the Transportation Department’s need for a modernized way to help students determine which activity bus they should ride.” It took a few months to create, but with Aiden’s solution, the user only needed to know one thing: their home address.

“It really simplifies the whole process,” Aiden explained, showing drivers the app interface on the projector screen behind him. With his app, students would be able to type in their home address and immediately see which bus they should take, which stop they should get off at and, if needed, walking directions to their home from that bus stop. Director of Transportation Bryan Barnhart watched with amazement. It was what he’d hoped a student could create to solve the persistent problem. “It’s fantastic!” Barnhart later said. “It’s very simple for users and the information is accurate. Aiden also designed it in a way that we can adapt to future changes to bus stops. It will save students and staff a headache.”

Aiden had barely finished asking the group if they had any questions when the room erupted in applause. “Huge,” one audience member said, almost in disbelief. “ I hope you get a commission!” another exclaimed. For Aiden, this moment was a long time coming. “Since I was very young, I have had a passion for computer science. I was interested in everything, trying out website, game, and app development, and various programming languages. The programming language and platform aren't what made this a new experience. This was a larger project than I have ever worked on before, and it wasn't just for me; it was for the school. This meant I had to learn project management on a new level, keeping the project organized to ensure its future development was viable.”

For Barnhart, Aiden’s app was a wonderful surprise. For two years, Hanson had been bringing his iOS App Capstone students over to the Transportation Department to hear about challenges they were facing and imagine what sorts of solutions they could develop. When Aiden heard about the activity buses problem, he knew he could make an app to solve it. Hanson connected Aiden with Transportation, and they gave him the data and resources he needed to build the app. For Barnhart, it was impressive to see a student-built app meet a department need. “I imagine that Mr. Hanson will continue to bring his students here in the future,” he said.

This summer, departments are working together to implement Aiden’s app, providing iPads at CMS and EPHS for students to use the app to find their correct bus. Because the app does not store or collect any names, nor does it store input addresses, it keeps student data private, making it a viable solution that staff hope to have in place for the 2025-26 school year. It’s been a journey to this point for Aiden, and he’s built many new skills along the way. “I learned a lot about collaboration and professional communication. This project required a lot of communication between members of the Transportation Department and me, mostly by email. This experience has made me feel much more prepared for the real world.”

Aiden was quick to thank those who helped him to achieve so much. “None of these student projects would have been possible without the support of Mr. Hanson,” he said. “He ensured we always had the resources we needed and pushed us to challenge ourselves.” And yet, Hanson gives credit where credit is due: “It was all Aiden. The functionality, user-interface and professional dialogue with Transportation staff was all him!”