MTAccess wins Rep. Grace Meng’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s Sixth District
Rep. Grace Meng has named Danny Lin, Jonathan Iskhakov, and Jayden Lin of The Bronx High School of Science as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s Sixth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of MTAccess, the students said, “As New Yorkers, we rely on public transportation that is provided by the MTA. Many of our classmates (us included) take the subway to and from school every day, sometimes requiring multiple trains or transfers. Some subway stations are fairly difficult to navigate through, requiring multiple flights of stairs to reach a platform or having to walk multiple blocks to transfer to another train. There is not an organized source of information that you can use to see this information, and for those that need accessibility accommodations, having that information would be crucial when they need to commute using the subway. So, we decided to build a mobile application that solves this exact problem.”
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.