ElderLink AR wins Rep. Jennifer McClellan’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Fourth District
Rep. Jennifer McClellan has named Akash Arun Kumar Soumya of Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Fourth District. Their app ElderLink AR promotes physical and emotional well-being for elderly individuals through chatbots that give users advice on exercise habits and destressing.
When asked what inspired the creation of ElderLink AR, Akash Arun Kumar Soumya said, “The inspiration for my app is very close to my heart. My grandparents have some serious back and spine issues as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. When they saw their doctor, they were told that they could have easily avoided most of the pain if they had been active, and that they could have helped it a lot just by moving a little bit a long time ago. This hit me in the heart. On the one hand, I understood what they meant by the doctor: to avoid being bedridden for long periods of time, and not be a ‘burden,’ you really need to stay active. But, on the other hand, I recognized the struggles that elderly people often have with moving: lack of motivation, lack of guidance, fear, not being able to go to the gym (physically or mentally), and so on. It made me want to make something for them that could get them to move more and be less scared of motion. An app that could take them by the hand and lead them, motivating and guiding, not just once in a while when they’re feeling spry, but regularly and always, so that they don’t have to be scared, or feel lost or overwhelmed.”
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.