Everyone Will Work wins Rep. Danny Davis’ 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Illinois’ Seventh District
Rep. Danny Davis has named Pranav Kota and Desmond Opoku-Ware of Walter Payton College Preparatory High School as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Illinois’ Seventh District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Everyone Will Work, the students said, “My partner and I went searching for things that could be improved upon in our neighborhood. We realized that in our community, there was an influx of immigrants and countless homeless individuals. After talking with many of these immigrants, we realized that many of them were unemployed with no way to support their families or are stuck in a cycle of doing odd jobs in which their services were severely undervalued to make ends meet. Furthermore, they often felt unsupported and didn’t know where to turn to for help with their needs. After seeing this problem, we wanted to make a solution that would help these immigrants with limited resources and opportunities to flourish in this new stage of their lives.”
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.