Allergy Card wins Rep. Jared Huffman’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in California’s Second District
Rep. Huffman has named Jayden Patel, an eighth grader at Del Mar Middle School, as the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in California’s Second District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Allergy Card, the student said, “I have severe food allergies to all nuts and sesame. When I was young in elementary school, I had to go to the ER twice because of severe food allergy reactions. I went through a desensitization process that took around four years. Now, I can eat a gram of all of my allergens and I don’t have to worry about cross-contamination. In addition, I can eat out at restaurants and enjoy desserts at birthday parties without worrying about my allergies. Last year, when I traveled to Mexico and Europe, it was sometimes difficult for me to eat at restaurants because the waiters did not speak English. I did not know if the food I was ordering contained something I was allergic to. It was difficult to communicate my food allergy needs. I used physical ‘Chef Cards’ but they are very expensive ($20+ for each card) and are made out of undurable paper. My app essentially does the same thing, but it is easier to access and create while being more affordable.”
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. The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from Omidyar Network, AWS, Rise, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May of 2024, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.