Presents wins Rep. Val Hoyle’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Oregon’s Fourth District
Rep. Val Hoyle has named Jonas Meyer of West Albany High School, Aidan Richards of West Albany High School, and Luc Tomich of West Albany High School as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Oregon’s Fourth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Presents, the students said, “‘20,000+,’ our principal said. That’s the total number of tardies our high school had in the 2023-2024 school year. It was no surprise to our group—we always hear peers talking about skipping class in the halls. What we did not expect was it to be a statewide issue. In the past, Oregon has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of states in school attendance. Since the pandemic, Oregon’s attendance has only gotten worse. One particularly sobering statistic for our group was that students who miss 10% of school days or more are 172% less likely to graduate. We know there are many reasons why students miss class, but one cited by the ODE is disengagement, or the general lack of connection and desire to go to school. This caught our attention. There have been plenty of successful apps which succeed in motivating learners through gamifying their subject. For example, Duolingo is a massively popular platform which helps people engage with language learning through providing game-like lessons and rewarding their users with a streak that they can brag about. Why couldn’t the same be done for school? We see technology as a unique opportunity in encouraging students to attend school, causing us to create this app!”
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.