BALTIMORE – Today, Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) announced the winner of this year’s Congressional App Challenge for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District. After deliberation by three distinguished judges on Congressman Mfume’s App Competition judging panel, the app and student team that received the highest score was: EcoGoal by Peter Yang and Vivek Raghavan from Gilman School.
The winning team consisted of Peter Yang and Vivek Raghavan from Gilman School, for their app, EcoGoal. EcoGoal was designed to help environmental organizations set, organize, and track goals in a private and collaborative space. The EcoGoal team used the programming language JavaScript to develop a web-based app for environmental organizations in particular to have access to a digital chatroom, to-do list, and have the ability to assign other users tasks. This app yields a very powerful communications and planning application that serves many purposes.
CLICK HERE to WATCH the EcoGoal team provide a tutorial on their winning app. To view the full application profile for EcoGoal, please CLICK HERE.
Mr. Yang and Mr. Raghavan were inspired to create this app after contacting various leaders of clubs in their school community and discovering a common thematic problem with all of them: most of the clubs needed help organizing events, hosting club meetings effectively, and communicating with the student body of their work and goals.
"I was immensely impressed by the variety, creativity, and technological ability demonstrated by all of the submissions my Office received for this year's Congressional App Challenge from Maryland's 7th Congressional District. I applaud Mr. Yang and Mr. Raghavan for ultimately being crowned the winners of this year's 'Challenge,' and I am confident this honor will propel both of these young coders in their journeys to become leaders in computer science, engineering, and other STEM fields," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume.
Additional Information: Congressional App Challenge
- The Congressional App Challenge is a way for Members of Congress to encourage middle and high school students to learn to code and to inspire them to pursue careers in computer science. Students have the opportunity to create and submit their original apps for a chance to win the "Challenge."
- The winner of the Congressional App Challenge in Maryland's 7th Congressional District was selected by a panel of judges with technological expertises drawn from local communities. The winning student(s) will have their app displayed on Capitol Hill and on the U.S. House of Representatives Official Website for one year.
- In addition to having their app displayed, the winning student(s) will also have copyright registration application fees waived through the Artistic Recognition for Talented Students (ARTS) Act. The student(s) will also be invited to the #HouseOfCode celebration.
- The Congressional App Challenge was created because Congress recognized that STEM and computer-based skills are essential for economic growth and innovation. These are high-paying, high-demand jobs and it’s crucial that the United States invests in our youth now and helps them acquire these valuable skills.
- Additional information about the Congressional App Challenge can be found by CLICKING HERE.
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