Generations Connect wins Rep. Val Hoyle’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Oregon’s Fourth District
Rep. Val Hoyle has named Rylan Pierce of Siuslaw High School as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Oregon’s Fourth District. Their app Generations Connect allows senior citizens to post paid tasks like yardwork, technology assistance, and errands for local high schoolers to complete.
When asked what inspired the creation of Generations Connect, Rylan Pierce said, “I wanted to help connect older and younger generations because I often see such separation between ages, especially when it comes to high schoolers. This app will help connect and benefit older and younger generations.”
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.