Ascend wins Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s 13th District
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has named David Bassaly of Bayside High School Online as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s 13th District. Their app Ascend is a fast-paced tap-and-jump game for iOS that trains and improves hand-eye coordination through short, repeatable levels.
When asked what inspired the creation of Ascend, David Bassaly said, “I wanted to build a simple, fun game that also helps improve hand-eye coordination for children and older adults who have hand mobility or coordination challenges.”
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.