SporkAI wins Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. ‘s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Eighth District
Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. has named Adam Belouad, a twelfth grader at Meridian High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Eighth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of SporkAI, the student said, “I must admit, I am not the best cook. Whether I overcook the pasta or under-season the vegetables, something always seems to go wrong. Knowing I lack a natural knack for cooking, I would always turn to recipes whenever I felt the urge to cook something.
However, this led to another problem. After purchasing all the necessary ingredients for a recipe, I often ended up with an excess of ingredients I didn’t know how to use. Sadly, without knowing how to use them, these ingredients would often go to waste.
When I started looking into the issue of food waste, I was shocked to learn that 30-40% of the food supply (according to the USDA) is wasted. A large portion of this waste occurs simply because people don’t know how to use all the ingredients in their fridge.
Amazed by how much food is wasted, I started brainstorming ways to combat this problem. I realized that if people had recipes tailored to exactly what they had in their fridge, they could turn those ingredients into a meal instead of letting them go to waste!”
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.