1STEP PREP wins Rep. Jason Crow’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Colorado’s Sixth District

When asked what inspired the creation of 1STEP PREP, the students said, “1STEP is an organization we founded to tackle the difficulty of students figuring out how to prepare for life after high school in an equitable, fair way. Therefore, we aim to assist all types of students in their preparation for their life after high school, whether it be for college, the military, or the workforce. The journey through high school is confusing and stressful at times, which is why we at 1STEP host meetings where we help alleviate stress through providing helpful resources for members to use during their journey. While in-person opportunities for high school students to take that 1st step and participate are wonderful, in reality, barriers exist for students who want to take the initiative in their journey. Whether they have to take care of a sibling, work after school, or even spend considerable time navigating local transportation to get to and from school, this can prevent students from reaching their goals. 

“This is where the 1STEP app comes into play. The 1STEP app is truly one of a kind scope of functionality it provides. The disparity of educational opportunities and the lack of help for those without access to additional resources were apparent. That is why we designed the 1STEP app to help those students who are unable to come to a 1STEP meeting. Creating the app will help aid a larger population than what we can do in person because it allows students in middle school to anticipate what is important in high school and prepare high schoolers for their next step. 

“Accessibility and equity were big thoughts for us, but so was the importance of effortless function. High school can be stressful for many students. That’s why everything in the app, from the selection of colleges to navigating the high school process, is user-friendly. 1STEP acts as a personal guidance counselor on the go, which, in turn, encourages students to confer with the app at all times instead of being hesitant to reach out to their school counselor outside of working hours. We are super happy to be able to create such an amazing mobile application because we understand the outcome that it can have on a large number of students, how it can foster joy during the high school experience, and, with a personalized guide, to remove the worry and stress of the college application process through the use of the 1STEP app.”