HBCU Connect wins Rep. Bobby Scott’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Third District
Rep. Scott has named Daylon Smith and Cameron Love of Bethel High School as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Third District.
When asked what inspired the creation of HBCU Connect, the students said, “Our inspiration for creating this app stemmed from the growing enthusiasm surrounding Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on social media and within our community. As prospective HBCU students ourselves, Daylon and I recognized the need for a more convenient and centralized resource. We envisioned an app that would simplify the process of exploring and applying to HBCUs, eliminating the need for users to navigate through various websites. Our goal was to provide a one-stop solution that offers comprehensive information about the top 25 HBCUs, making it easier for students to make informed decisions about their higher education.”
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.