Tax and Budget Calculator wins Rep. Jason Crow’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Colorado’s Sixth District
Rep. Crow has named 11th grader Aubrey Baker as the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Colorado’s Sixth District
When asked what inspired the creation of the Tax and Budget Calculator, the student said, “My sister has an intellectual disability and struggles with determining how much items will cost when tax is involved. This app is an assistive technology that helps people with disabilities understand more easily how to manage a budget when shopping. This can help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities increase their independent living skills. I know my sister desires the ability to go shopping on her own and consistently manage a personal wallet. This app will help her gain confidence and personal autonomy, both of which significantly improve her quality of life.”
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.