Civical wins Rep. Mike Collins’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Georgia’s 10th District

Rep. Collins has named Viveka Mehrotra, Jack Rumpf, and Anyi Lin of North Oconee High School as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Georgia’s 10th District.

When asked what inspired the creation of Civical, the students said, “Our aim with Civical is to make our generation more engaged in the political process and exhibit confidence when discussing political issues. Learning about the history, values, and structure of our nation will provide the foundation for understanding the importance of active participation. We believe that civic education serves as the essential tool for motivating young individuals to remain engaged in effecting positive change and is instrumental in creating an informed citizenry.  We hope that Civical inspires our generation to address the nation’s challenges head on while allowing them to appreciate the significant impact they can have on their community, state, and even the entire country. All of this contributes to the betterment of our nation and garners a greater appreciation for the birthplace of democracy. We view our efforts in inspiring the next generation of citizens to engage in the democratic process as our most significant and enduring contribution to our community yet. Also, as the winners of the challenge last year (the first from Georgia’s 10th Congressional District) for our app, Coexist, we were motivated to be creative and defend our title!”

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