SafeStep wins Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Pennsylvania’s Seventh District.
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie has named Devansh Garg of Parkland High School as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Pennsylvania’s Seventh District. Their app SafeStep detects obstacles and drop-offs (such as curbs) in front of users.
When asked what inspired the creation of SafeStep, Devansh Garg said, “During the summer, my mom had a fall. We were in India, a place known for its potholes, and overall worse walking conditions. The ground suddenly dropped, and she couldn’t catch herself in time, causing her to fall onto her left arm. She ended up splitting her humerus 3 different ways. I noticed that this problem was prevalent with many of my older relatives and friends’ older relatives. All because of a simple mistake, months and years of pain can be created. I was always careful with my mom afterwards; I notified her of any sudden elevations, curbs, and more. This inspired the audio output part of my app; I wanted users to know, based on audio and not just visually, that there might be something in front of them. Overall, my mom and a fall were what inspired me to create this app.”
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.