Nurgent wins Rep. Grace Meng’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s Sixth District
Rep. Meng has named Rachel Wu, Eugene Xu, and Yuan Gao of The Bronx High School of Science as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s Sixth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Nurgent, the students said, “The lack of information on public bathrooms inspired us to create this app. In numerous instances, our friends and families have found themselves in public spaces desperately in need of a bathroom, only to struggle to locate one. When we turn to Google to search for the nearest bathrooms, there are limited results, and even when available, the information is scattered across multiple articles and does not allow for users to search based on their location. Nurgent addresses this urgent need by streamlining the searching process, allowing users to search for the nearest available bathroom along with reviews of that bathroom location. In a bustling city where people are constantly on the move, the need for accessible and clean public bathrooms becomes critical. It is a service that addresses a fundamental human need, enhancing the quality of life of residents and visitors alike.”
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.