KnowYourReps wins Rep. Davis’ 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Illinois’ Seventh District
Rep. Davis has named Michal Lampejo, an 11th grader at Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart, as the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Illinois’ Seventh District.
When asked what inspired the creation of KnowYourReps, the student said, “I was inspired to create this app out of wanting to create something that helped others. I’ve searched for information on political representatives in the past, and during these searches, I consistently encountered websites that only gave information for one specific type of politician or didn’t provide an explanation of what the politicians do as a job. They left me feeling overwhelmed, like I was drowning in a sea of titles, names, addresses, and contact information but not given enough information to process what the information actually meant. I realized that I probably wasn’t unique in my feelings and there were likely many others who felt the same way. This realization fueled my determination to challenge myself to make KnowYourReps, I wanted to offer a solution to people who, just like me, wanted a straightforward way to understand who represents them and how they fulfill their roles.”
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.