VeriTask wins Rep. Bruce Westerman’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Arkansas’s Fourth District
Rep. Bruce Westerman has named Zaynab Al-Shami of Arkansas Connections Academy as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Arkansas’s Fourth District. Their app VeriTask is designed to help with time management and productivity by blocking apps on the user’s device until tasks are completed.
When asked what inspired the creation of VeriTask, Zaynab Al-Shami said, “With the increasing access to social media, many people are losing valuable time to these apps. Hours are spent every day on these platforms, making it harder to use time productively and effectively. Thus, I was inspired to create an app that will help mitigate the negative effects of distracting apps. While there are many apps with similar purposes, their methods, such as limiting screen time or using simple task checklists to restrict usage, often make it easy for users to bypass restrictions without completing real tasks. However, VeriTask takes a smarter approach by utilizing AI to ensure that the user completes their tasks before they regain access to distracting apps. This ensures productivity and motivation for the user and helps decrease the time lost on distracting platforms.”
The 2025 Congressional App Challenge marked another record-setting year for the program. A total of 394 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives hosted App Challenges in their congressional districts, the highest level of participation in the program’s history. More than 13,800 students from across the country participated, submitting over 4,600 original apps focused on real-world challenges ranging from health and accessibility to education, sustainability, and civic engagement.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives that encourages middle school and high school students to learn to code, explore computer science, and build practical technology solutions for their communities. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and winning teams are invited to showcase their projects to Members of Congress, staff, and industry leaders at the annual #HouseOfCode celebration on Capitol Hill.
The Challenge is proudly bipartisan and reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to STEM education and preparing the next generation of American innovators for the future workforce. The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from the Broadcom Foundation, AWS, Infosys Foundation USA, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2026 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.