Teen Tobacco Termination wins Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 11th District
Rep. Pelosi has named Shreya Aghi, an eighth grader at The Hamlin School, as the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 11th District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Teen Tobacco Termination, the student said, “I was inspired to create Teen Tobacco Termination through my work with BACR (Bay Area Community Resources), focusing on tobacco cessation among teenagers. As I have witnessed peers in middle school being drawn into their first cigarette or vape, I recognized the significance of the issue. Vaping and smoking are increasingly concerning among adolescents, and it’s crucial to inform them about the risks before they get involved. Teenagers, with underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes, are susceptible to poor decision-making. Influences like peer pressure and advertising further jeopardize their health. Nicotine, a chemical that triggers significant dopamine release, hooks teenagers on vaping and smoking which affects their brain function. Studies show that 90% of daily adult smokers began before age 18, potentially stunting adolescent growth and causing lasting physical damage. While teenagers might acknowledge the risks of smoking, they often don’t comprehend the full extent until they experience its health effects. Smoking is the primary cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. An estimated 5.6 million teenagers might die from smoking-related diseases if current tobacco usage patterns persist. Educating our youth about the severe health consequences and providing essential resources can help prevent vaping and smoking, steering us towards a tobacco-free society for teenagers.”
This year’s Challenge saw an unprecedented level of participation, with 374 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions, surpassing the previous record of 340. A remarkable 11,334 students from across the United States competed in this year’s Challenge, marking an impressive increase of nearly 1,000 participants compared to the previous record set in 2019. The enthusiasm and creativity these students display is a testament to the growing interest in technology and signal a bright future for American innovation. The surge of ingenuity continued with a whopping 3,645 original applications flooding in, nearly a thousand more than the previous year’s high. This remarkable growth showcases the exceptional talent and innovation within our nation’s youth.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today’s rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival. The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from Omidyar Network, AWS, Rise, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May of 2024, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.