Safe Water Operation wins Rep. Nick LaLota’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s First District
Rep. LaLota has named Milan Lustig, Ryan Smith, Desmond Mehta, and Buster Coden of Cold Spring Harbor High School as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s First District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Safe Water Operation, the students said, “There already exist many free and open source ways to monitor air quality in a given region; however, there are no simple options for water quality. Our team felt this gap needed to be filled, and that such a utility could make people’s lives substantially easier. Living in Cold Spring Harbor, many of us enjoy spending time at our local beaches. Often, the water quality is sub-optimal, be it from a poor pH or algae bloom. However, if the beach or area we are visiting has not tested the water quality, we may end up unsure if it is safe to swim. Sometimes, people may go into the water even if it is unsafe without realizing it. With our app, anybody can easily check their local water quality and get a simple overview of their location. ”
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.