Smoke Free Generation wins Rep. Gwen Moore’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Wisconsin’s Fourth District
Rep. Moore has named Oliver Bucek of Greendale High School, Dhruva Shreejay of Bayside Middle School, Ansh Paranjiya of Greendale High School, and Taris Eason of Milwaukee Academy of Science as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Wisconsin’s Fourth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of the Smoke Free Generation, the students said, “We recently found out how common and serious the problem of smoking is in the United States. About 11.3% of US adults use tobacco, but even scarier, we learned that over 3 million middle and high school students use at least one tobacco product too! Many people just don’t realize the massive health risks that come with smoking and how much of a person’s life can be affected by tobacco. That was why we decided to make an app to try to reduce this very serious problem: Smoke Free Generation.”
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.