Flex Ed wins Rep. Steve Cohen’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Tennessee’s Ninth District
Rep. Steve Cohen has named Kennedy Jefferson of HomeLife Academy and Catheryn Jeff of Marion Math Science Technology Magnet School as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Tennessee’s Ninth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Flex Ed, the students said, “We were trying to help lessen poverty in Memphis, the city with the second highest poverty rate. We searched for ways to help fix this and found out there’s an ongoing cycle that keeps generations in poverty. Since you normally need quality education to get a high-paying job to earn money, those without money will struggle to pay for their children’s education. We decided to create an app to help. And since we can’t provide jobs or money, we decided to provide free quality education for any children who might be falling behind.”
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.