The classroom buzzes with activity as students work together on homework and projects. Sophomore Jordan Butler walks around answering questions and helping in any way he can. It is the first meeting of the Bowie Study Central (BSC) club. Butler began this club as an in-person counterpart to his online website under the same name.
“BSC is made exclusively for Bowie students,” Butler said. “To access it, you have to be signed into your school email address, or else the URL will not load properly. But it is available for our school and in the first week we had 300 users.”
With the school year just beginning, Butler wasted no time turning his vision into reality. He began thinking up ideas for the site within days of coming up with the concept. He put his idea into action on September 3 when he began the rough draft of the website. Eight days later, on September 11, Butler had finished the final draft of the website, and it was ready to be used by students.
“I created the website to give time back to the students,” Butler said. “Studying and creating things like flashcard sets, worksheets and practice problems take up a lot of our time. By making BSC, I want to give others the relaxed feeling you get when knowing you have resources to help you succeed.”
Once the idea was finalized, Butler focused on bringing it to life digitally. Using a platform he was already familiar with, he started building what would become a central hub for Bowie students seeking academic help and collaboration.
“I find it very easy to use,” sophomore Matilda Fagan said. “The website has a place for everything and I feel like it really brings us together as a community of students.”
Butler used Google Sites to build the website. Butler had previous experience with Google Sites from other projects that required the software. Google Sites is a free platform with an interface designed for simplicity.
“I didn’t do anything to fancy,” Butler said. “I basically took everything I was thinking in my head and designed it through Google Sites. It was really satisfying to see it turn out how I envisioned.”
The layout for BSC features clearly organized sections, such as classes, where users can find notes and assignments for various subjects, an About page detailing the project contributors and mission, a Club section connecting students with the extracurricular group, and a Study Corner, which is a current work in progress but features things like focusing techniques, calming music, educational games and study timers.
“One of our contributors made the study corner,” Butler said. “It is his passion project, and he has spent a lot of time making sure that students have a ton of resources to feel confident in their studying approach.”
Faculty members quickly took notice of the site’s growing popularity and impact. Lou Kuhn, one of Butler’s former teachers, has watched the project evolve and praises the students’ initiative in creating a supportive learning environment.
“This website is useful to students because they can get immediate answers from each other, and it is very student-oriented,” Kuhn said. “I decided to sponsor Jordan’s club. I know he has a driven personality, which I observed when I taught him in eighth grade, and anytime a student asks for help with a club, I want to do what I can.”
Certain students take a more active role in the website. Butler calls the contributors. This set of students is the one leading the creation and uploading of the study sets. Currently, there are six contributors: Butler, Paavan Vaswani, Ethan Stevens, Shiv Dungar, Lucas Smith, and Evie Johnson. According to Butler, the contributors are the backbone of the web page, and nothing would be possible without them.
“I became a contributor because I am passionate about helping with World History, and I thought it would be a good use of my time to help others, too,” sophomore Shiv Dungar said. “Jordan reached out to me about it, and I thought it was a really great idea, and Jordan’s a cool guy, so I knew it would be a success.”
As the website gained popularity, Butler wanted to take its collaborative spirit beyond the screen. That idea led to the creation of the BSC club which is an in-person space where students can come together to work on homework, prepare for tests, and build new study sets for the website. The club allows members to share knowledge face-to-face and support one another in subjects where they might struggle.
“When Jordan told me about the club version of the website, I was super interested,” Fagan said. “I use the website often, and I know a lot of people who were joining the club, and it really feels like we are coming together as a school.
As BSC continues to grow, Butler hopes more students will take advantage of the website and the new club that complements it. Whether it’s preparing for a WHAP test or reviewing Algebra 2 notes, the site offers a place for collaboration and shared success.
“I can’t wait to see how BSC will change in the coming years,” Butler said. “I intend for it to become more popular with all grades and to keep adding more notes and study guides. I have big plans for this website, and I want it to be a lasting resource at Bowie even after I graduate.”
