G[AR]AGE wins Rep. Waters 2023 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 43rd District
Rep. Waters has named T’mar Harris and Travon Williams, 12th graders at Compton Early College High School, as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 43rd District.
When asked what inspired the creation of G[AR]AGE, the students said, “When I got my first car, a 2008 dodge charger, it was rusty and not physically pleasing at all. So I was in need of a way to visualize all cosmetic changes to the vehicle before committing and risk wasting money on aesthetic changes I might not like. With G[AR]AGE it allows me to skip the process of trial and error in finding what aesthetics changes I like, Saving me a tremendous amount of money. ”
This year’s Challenge saw an unprecedented level of participation, with 374 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions, surpassing the previous record of 340. A remarkable 11,334 students from across the United States competed in this year’s Challenge, marking an impressive increase of nearly 1,000 participants compared to the previous record set in 2019. The enthusiasm and creativity these students display is a testament to the growing interest in technology and signal a bright future for American innovation. The surge of ingenuity continued with a whopping 3,645 original applications flooding in, nearly a thousand more than the previous year’s high. This remarkable growth showcases the exceptional talent and innovation within our nation’s youth.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today’s rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival.