AgriConnect wins Rep. Juan Vargas’ 2025 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 52nd District
Rep. Juan Vargas has named Ziming Xia, Alex Tang, Joshua Wang, and Fengcheng Li of Saint Charles Catholic School, Westview High School, Del Norte High School, and Otay Ranch High School as the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 52nd District. Their app AgriConnect tackles the problem of wasted food by turning surplus produce into community resources.
When asked what inspired the creation of AgriConnect, the students said, “The inspiration came from the striking fact that over 30% of edible, hand-harvested produce in California fields is left behind due to supermarket standards or overplanting in home gardens. Seeing this waste alongside the growing need for food access and sustainable practices motivated us to build a solution that turns excess into opportunity.
“We wanted to create an app that not only prevents food from going to waste but also educates future generations, celebrates cultural heritage, and empowers communities to help one another. By blending technology, tradition, and community spirit, this app seeks to transform how people think about food—shifting from wastefulness to sharing, from isolation to collaboration.”
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.