Lexia wins Rep. Kevin Kiley’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in California’s Third District

When asked what inspired the creation of Lexia, the students said, “We were inspired to create this app after seeing family members, classmates, and community members struggle with dyslexia in their everyday lives. In school, students with dyslexia often receive accommodations such as extended time or specialized instruction, but these resources can be inconsistent and depend heavily on school funding or awareness. We realized that while some support may be available in an academic setting, these services typically disappear after graduation, leaving people without tools once they enter college, the workforce, or adult life.

“As we spoke with students, parents, and educators, we noticed a recurring theme: even when support exists, it often arrives slowly, is fragmented across different systems, or requires students to advocate constantly for themselves. This process can feel discouraging, making reading feel like a barrier rather than an opportunity. We asked ourselves, what happened to people with dyslexia outside the school environment? Who supported them then?

“When researching existing solutions, we found that many tools were either expensive or weren’t designed for everyday use. Several were limited to digital text and couldn’t handle handwritten notes or printed material that people encounter daily. Very few allowed meaningful personalization beyond font size. And none incorporated artificial intelligence. These limitations made us curious about whether more flexible, mobile, and affordable technology could make reading more inclusive.

“Our goal was to support reading beyond the classroom by letting users adapt the text they experience in everyday life. Whether someone is at work, running errands, or interacting with unfamiliar materials, our app gives them the ability to personalize what they see. That mission, to make reading more inclusive, dignified, and independent, ultimately drove us to create this app.”