Minds2Heal wins Rep. Steve Scalise’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Louisiana’s First District
Rep. Steve Scalise has named Ujesh Chakravarty, Luca Cardinale, and Muhammad Khan of Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Louisiana’s First District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Minds2Heal, the students said, “Mental health affects all of us in some way, shape, or form. For one of our team members, he had a close relative that passed away from substance abuse. If he had the resources and help, he could still be here today. We know that there are thousands of people who have had someone important in their life pass away because of a mental illness which is why we made this app to give people the help and resources that people before them didn’t have.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is estimated that one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (59.3 million in 2022). To add on to that, some people don’t even know that they have a mental illness. Yet, many people face boundaries for the support they need. Once we saw this statistic, we were surprised why this wasn’t very known and that there weren’t many accessible resources. Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quote, “life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?’ we wanted to make an impact by helping others and creating a learning experience for us. We created easy-to-use software that helps users track their health and calm their mood down. The combination of fun, calming activities, mood tracking, self-reflection, and breathing exercises positions the app as a supportive companion for mental wellness.”
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.