TechMate wins Rep. Dina Titus’ 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Nevada’s First District
Rep. Dina Titus has named Matthew Caliboso of Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas – Sandy Ridge as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Nevada’s First District. Their app TechMate is a one-stop shop for seniors struggling with technology or having trouble understanding the new era of AI.
When asked what inspired the creation of TechMate, Matthew Caliboso said, “For years, I have been teaching my grandparents how to set up their phones and install new apps on their computers, and I would spend meals explaining the latest tech headlines as we watched the news. Recognizing that not every grandparent had someone to help them with their tech troubles or explain the latest news, I started presenting at senior living communities throughout the Las Vegas area, partnering with half a dozen communities and presenting to over 200 seniors on topics such as AI and 3D printing. I quickly noticed that my original lessons focused too much on the technical aspects of AI, and not enough on why they should care, how it applies to them, and how it’s shaping the world around us. Additionally, I found that the seniors learned best through a more conversational style where they could ask questions freely.
“This shaped how I designed the app. The Learn AI feature is designed to be simple and easily digestible for seniors, while also being thought-provoking on how they envision a future with AI. The built-in chatbot facilitates conversational style learning, allowing the seniors to ask all the questions they may have and get answers instantly. All of my experience teaching AI to my grandparents and seniors all around Las Vegas went into designing these features to maximize their impact.
“Additionally, many seniors that I’ve met are uncomfortable and don’t trust the idea of talking to or interacting with AI. To combat this, I designed a user-friendly interface to interact with AI and get seniors acquainted with AI interaction.
“Like any tech-savvy grandkid, I took on the role of being my grandparents’ personal tech support. It’s no secret that many seniors struggle with technology, but despite this, there seems to be no fast, easy-to-use, widely available solution they can depend upon at any time of day. TechMate solves this issue through its Ask Anything and Screenshot Helper features for all the seniors without grandkids to help them, or anyone who needs an easy solution to a tech issue.
“In 2024, FBI data showed that more than 147,000 seniors over the age of 60 reported being scammed online, totaling over $4.8 billion. My grandfather was one of them. He has fallen for online scams again and again. Having the Scam Checker feature can help seniors identify potential scams and avoid becoming the next victim of online scammers.”
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.