Electrance wins Rep. Sara Jacobs’ 2024 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 51st District.
Rep. Sara Jacobs has named Milan Gupta, an eleventh grader at Francis Parker School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in California’s 51st District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Electrance, the student said, “In 2022, I began my journey into music production, excited to turn my ideas into sound. However, what I thought would be a creative and rewarding experience quickly became overwhelming. The music software required for production was not only expensive, but difficult to learn because it was filled with features that were hard to grasp as a beginner. I then turned to YouTube tutorials and online forums for help, but these resources often fell short, leaving me more confused and discouraged. The lack of structured, step-by-step guidance, as well as the financial barriers, made it hard for me to build any passion or inspiration. The weight of this experience was a catalyst for action. I have always believed in the power of technology to bring about meaningful change, and this is what sparked my idea to develop Electrance. By using the power of AI, I wanted to ensure that even those with no prior experience could navigate the music creation process with ease. Additionally, I wanted to create a solution for people of all backgrounds that would remove the financial, physical, and technical barriers hindering their creativity. At its core, Electrance reflects my belief that music creation should be available to everyone, regardless of their background and experience level.”
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.