Smart Recycling Guide wins Rep. Raul Ruiz’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 25th District
Rep. Raul Ruiz has named Zi Wang, Skye Chen, and Matthew Zhang of Aquinas High School, University High School, and Mark Keppel High School as the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 25th District. Their app Smart Recycling Guide helps reduce recycling mistakes by giving clear bin instructions instantly after scanning any barcode.
When asked what inspired the creation of Smart Recycling Guide, the students said, “Many students, families, and office workers try to recycle properly without confusion. Our app aims to make recycling easier for everyone who wants to make the environment around them a better place.”
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.