Count to 3 wins Rep. Darren Soto’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s Ninth District
Rep. Darren Soto has named Elizabeth Cadet, a twelfth grader at Tohopekaliga High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Florida’s Ninth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Count to 3, the student said, “My parents are hardworking travel nurses. Because of the nature of their field of work, my siblings and I often found ourselves needing to hold ourselves accountable when it came to doing our schoolwork. Although stressful at first, we realized that when we came together on a set schedule to study and get our homework done, the time seemed to fly by. In addition, the anxiety that would usually come with those school nights also seemed to disappear. Happy with our progress, we found more ways to make studying easier for us all. That’s when we came up with the idea of agendas and breathing exercises. They kept us on track and collected at a time where it seemed nothing could. Realizing that not all students are fortunate enough to have 8 siblings to motivate them, calm them, and keep them on track, deciding to create an app that could potentially fill that void and positively impact someone’s life was a no brainer. ”
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.