Wilderly wins Rep. Chris Smith’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New Jersey’s Fourth District
Rep. Smith has named Garrett Stemetzki, Charlie Brekke, and Jordan Denzler of Communications High School as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New Jersey’s Fourth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Wilderly, the students said, “We were inspired to create this app from our own experiences learning about these topics in school. We felt that this education would have been further improved had we been able to go out and find these species in nature. Additionally, we believe that providing an outlet where kids could learn while simultaneously having fun would provide the best environment for developing a love for, a knowledge of, and an appreciation for nature.”
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.