SumnerVols wins Rep. John Rose’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Tennessee’s Sixth District
Rep. John Rose has named Andy Tran, a twelfth grader at Liberty Creek High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Tennessee’s Sixth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of SumnerVols, the student said, “Throughout my high school career, I have noticed that volunteer events are known really only by word-of-mouth in my community. The BETA Club and National Honor Society at my high school offer volunteering events, but these events often seem random. We have one food bank day in November, school volunteering once every two months, and an annual city marathon. Compared to other communities, it doesn’t seem like much. But I know there are a lot more events than just these ones. Simply looking up ‘Sumner County volunteering’ will lead you to a third-party website that only shows volunteering events that aren’t kid-friendly and are farther away in rural areas. I thought to myself, ‘Well, I like to code and help people out, so why don’t I make a real change to the world?’ The idea of making a big outside contribution seemed really interesting, leading to the creation of this web 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.