Stefan Lotz wins Rep. Maxwell Frost’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s 10th District
Rep. Maxwell Frost has named Stefan Lotz, an twelfth grader at Edgewater High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s 10th District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Scheduleasy, the student said, “Last year, our school’s bell schedule was modified slightly and for a few days none of the students knew when class was supposed to end each period. Even teachers began forgetting how much time was remaining. This inspired me to create a website for my high school to display the time remaining in each period. Over the school year, it quickly became an integral part of daily life for hundreds of students and teachers at my high school, but I knew that it would be more impactful if any school could use it. This desire to expand my website to work for anybody, anywhere was the catalyst for my creation of Scheduleasy.”
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.