MonkeyMatics wins Rep. Jodey C. Arrington’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’ 19th District
Rep. Jodey C. Arrington has named Seonho Choi, Nathan Huang, Raaghav Nandana, and Hansong Zuo of Lubbock High School as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’ 19th District.
When asked what inspired the creation of MonkeyMatics, the students said, “We realized that there was a dire lack of connection between the realms of entertainment and mathematics. We decided that the best way to make math more fun, motivating, and competitive, was to create a game that could efficiently integrate all three. This caused us to think about a game that involves quick mental math skills, and we realized that racing against the game itself would provide a great concept. So, we created a game in which players race to answer problems and avoid hitting the ground. As players get better at our game, we hope that through our score-counting system, they may be able to challenge their peers and see who can score the highest in healthy competition. We did this by improving the graphics and adding a moving component by making the monkey spin as it jumps.”
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.