LegalEase wins Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s 20th District
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has named Kennedy Shivers of College Academy at Broward College as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s 20th District. Their app LegalEase is an educational web tool that helps teens understand their legal rights, civic duties, and community impact.
When asked what inspired the creation of LegalEase, Kennedy Shivers said, “I was inspired to create LegalEase after learning that 37% of people cannot name a single First Amendment right, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center. This statistic reflects a broader issue: many teens are unaware of their legal rights and responsibilities. I wanted to develop a tool that is accessible, interactive, and engaging, so students can learn about important topics like freedom of speech, privacy, and school rights in a safe environment. My goal is to give young people the knowledge and confidence to navigate real-world legal situations and become more informed citizens.”
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.