TownTake wins Rep. Joe Courtney’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Connecticut’s Second District
Rep. Joe Courtney has named Varun Srikanth, Ashton Stiner of Glastonbury High School, Aarna Rao, and Shrestha Kar of Glastonbury High School as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Connecticut’s Second District.
When asked what inspired the creation of TownTake, the students said, “United States throws away roughly 2.5 billion tons of garbage per year. All that waste ends up in landfills that is a major concern in impacting our environment. This impacts Air pollution, soil and water contamination and significantly decreases the amount of raw resources that can be reused. Picking up items from the Put-and-Take can save money as one doesn’t have to pay the full cost of the item, and it also contributes to the effort to save the environment since these items have a second chance and a new home! TownTake was born out of the recognition of reducing waste in the landfills, and a hope to increase the use of these Put-and-Take stations in town to help raise awareness on recycling and reusing products!”
This year’s Congressional App Challenge set new records, with an unprecedented 382 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions—surpassing the previous high of 374. An incredible 12,682 students from across the country participated, representing a growth of over 1,000 students compared to 2023. These talented students submitted an astounding 3,881 original applications, showcasing their creativity, passion for technology, and the limitless potential of America’s next generation of innovators. This surge in participation reflects the increasing excitement around STEM and highlights a bright future for American innovation.
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 the Broadcom Foundation, AWS, Rise, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May of 2025, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.