When two students at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School on Chicago’s Near North Side saw individuals who were unhoused or seeking asylum in their communities, and that they lacked the necessary support to secure jobs, they made an app where under-resourced people can connect with businesses for employment.
The Everybody Will Work app won Pranav Kota and Desmond Opoku-Ware last year’s Congressional App Challenge in the 7th district, and their work has been displayed at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. for a year.
For a chance at the same recognition, middle and high school students in the 7th congressional district can attend Congressman Danny Davis’ Technology in the Park: Back to School event on Aug. 16 in Columbus Park off Central Avenue. There, they will learn about this year’s Congressional App Challenge and the basics of how to develop their own apps, even if they don’t have any app development experience.
The kickoff event will begin at 10 a.m. with Congressional App Challenge activities starting at 12:30 p.m., where attendees can learn how to design apps for phones, social media and websites. The back-to-school celebration will also include free backpacks and school supplies.
The U.S. House of Representatives launched the Congressional App Challenge in 2015 to teach students around the country about coding and encourage them to pursue computer science careers. In 2013, House Resolution 77 passed, outlining plans for annual district-wide app competitions. Two years later, the Committee on House Administration passed the challenge’s rules and regulations. The Internet Education Foundation is the official outside sponsor of the challenge.
Every year, winners of the Congressional App Challenge are invited to the annual House of Code fair in Washington D.C., where they demonstrate their apps for members of Congress.
Last year, a record number of 382 of the 435 House of Representative members hosted competitions in their districts. It was also the most students the app challenge has seen in the decade since it first launched — 12,682 students, who created 3,881 apps.
The Congressional App Challenge aims to reach underserved communities and has successfully done so. One in three challenges are held in areas with large rural populations, and about 44% of participants describe themselves as beginners in app development and computer science.
Those interested in registering for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge can do so at https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/students/student-registration/. The competition deadline is Oct. 30.