RightsNow! wins Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Michigan’s 12th District
Rep. Rashida Tlaib has named Isabella Martinez and Hayato Yamaguchi of Stevenson High School and Churchill High School as the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Michigan’s 12th District. Their app RightsNow! gives users a brief overview of the rights they are granted as Americans, as well as allowing them to RSVP to Know Your Rights workshops, ask and view answers to rights-related questions, and play a quiz game involving their rights.
When asked what inspired the creation of RightsNow!, the students said, “My grandfather inspired me to create this app! He was probably the smartest man I have ever met, yet he did not know much about the American government. He used to check out big, historical books from the library, and it made me ask the question: “Is there an easier way to learn this?” That idea was set aside for a while, and then I started tutoring for my friend’s neighbor, whose grandmother is from Palestine. The same event occurred; she would always ask what the news was talking about when it displayed analysts talking about passing a budget, or warning that a government shutdown was imminent. I was on the fence about entering this competition, but those interactions solidified it for me. The opportunity to make life easier for my neighbors was right in front of me, so I decided I should take it.”
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.