STEMPower Connect wins Rep. Tom Emmer’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Minnesota’s Sixth District
Rep. Tom Emmer has named Reeha Ibrahim and Tvisha Talwar of Totino-Grace High School and Wayzata High School as the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Minnesota’s Sixth District. Their app STEMPower Connect is designed to bring young women into the realm of STEM by connecting them with specialized local opportunities, resources, and mentoring.
When asked what inspired the creation of STEMPower Connect, the students said, “Despite growing efforts for emphasis on women in STEM, girls and women remain underrepresented in technology, especially in leadership positions. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2024, 28.2% of people in STEM were women. Additionally, according to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, less than one-third of leadership positions were occupied by women. This problem isn’t just in the workforce, but surrounds us everywhere: robotics, hackathons, Capture The Flag competitions, and more.
“To make this more difficult, it’s increasingly difficult for young women to find STEM opportunities near them, especially when they’re first starting their journey. While there are available resources like LinkedIn, they’re not user-friendly because of information overload, with specific opportunities being hard to find. STEMPower Connect solves both of these problems by providing users with local opportunities in a simple and effective manner. With the “Saved” and “Learn” features, users are able to track their progress in STEM and continue building on it, no matter where they are. They’re also able to visit opportunities later, instead of seeing them once and never again. Plus, Ada the chatbot helps guide and personalize young girls’ experiences, thus motivating them to grow their confidence.
“The modern user interface uses teal and purple to create a branded, cohesive user experience. This makes the app feel more helpful and welcoming, which is exactly what girls who may feel that STEM isn’t for them need. Furthermore, according to UXmatters, purple promotes creativity and encouragement, while blue/green promotes calmness and hospitality.
“Overall, STEMPower Connect aligns with global equity and inclusion. It tackles the disparity between men and women in STEM by uplifting young girls into opportunities, effectively diversifying the STEM pipeline.”
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.