Curve Genius wins Rep. Max Miller’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Ohio’s Seventh District
Rep. Max Miller has named Varun Rodrigues, a twelfth grader at Medina High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Ohio’s Seventh District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Curve Genius, the student said, “It’s not uncommon for teachers to curve tests, but by my sophomore year, it seemed almost ubiquitous. I quickly noticed that the most commonly employed form of curving was causing problems: it compared all the students in the class to the student with the highest score, making the highest-scoring student feel bad for ‘ruining the curve,’ and leaving the remainder of the students feeling inadequate. After speaking with my stats teacher, I learned that the problem had been around for as long as curving existed. We both knew math held the solution; using stats, a curve could be created that would remove the stigma from grade curving. The question I had to address was, ‘How can I make it easier for teachers to use this ‘better curve’?’ Curve Genius does exactly that.”
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.