Ready, Set, GO! wins Rep. André Carson’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Indiana’s Seventh District
Rep. André Carson has named Justin Li and Arnay Garyhan of Park Tudor as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Indiana’s Seventh District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Ready, Set, GO!, the students said, “Track and Field is a sport all about numbers: an athlete’s performance during an event results in a number and an athlete’s accomplishments are based on whether they can make that number larger or smaller. Even an athlete’s world ranking is based on a seemingly arbitrary ‘score’ that uses several tables and formulas to calculate. Initially, all these numbers may be confusing, and it may be hard to understand an athlete’s accomplishments based on a number that had no previous relevance to a watcher. Even worse, a lack of understanding can undermine an achievement that was the result of decades of hard work on the athletes’ end. At the moment, new watchers are practically on their own when it comes to learning what the statistics mean, which is why we created Ready Set GO!”
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.