Cal Capture wins Rep. Mike Johnson’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Louisiana’s Fourth District
Rep. Mike Johnson has named Maya Trutschl, an eleventh grader at Caddo Parish Magnet High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Louisiana’s Fourth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Cal Capture, the student said, “In today’s fast paced world, our lives are intricately woven into the fabric of technology. Calendars have become our essential tools, integrating into our daily routines, helping us manage our commitments, from school assignments and events, to family gatherings and personal appointments. They also remind us of important deadlines. However, we still receive a number of entries on printed sheets of paper, which we then painstakingly transform into calendar entries. I wanted to be able to batch-create calendar entries from scanned documents, and after I could not find any apps that would achieve this, I decided to make my own.”
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.