Stridease wins Rep. Diana Harshbarger’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Tennessee’s First District
Rep. Diana Harshbarger has named Graham Mefford, a eleventh grader at Graham Mefford, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Tennessee’s First District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Stridease, the student said, “Stridease was inspired by a desire to help people maintain healthier movement patterns and prevent common foot-related issues that arise from poor support or improper footwear. With more people adopting active lifestyles, there is a growing need for intelligent solutions that help optimize physical efficiency and keep people healthy.
Whether it is athletes looking to improve performance or individuals who want to prevent fatigue and injury during long workdays, we wanted to create an app that intelligently responds to their needs. We believe that technology, especially when integrated with health monitoring tools, can be a powerful ally in maintaining physical well-being, so Stridease was developed to bring this vision to life.”
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.