Teens Teach wins Rep. Bill Pascrell’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New Jersey’s Ninth District
Rep. Pascrell has named Kennedy Sheppard, Lamarr Olive, Om Rana, and Marlon Rodriguez of Clifton High School as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New Jersey’s Ninth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Teens Teach, the students said, “Throughout our lives, we’ve recognized how education is one of the best investments a young person can make into their future, and we’ve watched as the next generation of Americans have fallen behind in the education system. This app is a way for our generation to use our native technology to gain access to a comprehensive variety of educational resources. Teenagers already spend so much time on their devices. However, much of their time is wasted on unproductive social media apps like TikTok and Instagram. We looked to create a modern, sleek alternative that would allow for these same teenagers to use their screen time in a productive manner.”
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.