Bowling Green Today

Yesterday, Congressman Brett Guthrie presented awards to Louisville area student groups for their participation in the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. This event allows middle and high school students to create and exhibit software applications within their Congressional District.

Congressman Guthrie expressed pride in the students' efforts, stating, "I am so proud to see the hard work and thoughtfulness that our local students put into designing their apps." He highlighted the variety of submissions aimed at solving real-world problems through technology, such as mental health access and physical health improvement.

The second-place overall award went to Sharvil Saxena from Dupont Manual High School for "Serenity," an app designed to improve mental health with features like guided meditations and an AI chatbox. The third-place overall award was given to Manit Gupta & Bhavit Gupta for their "Personalized Intelligent Fitness & Nutrition Assistant," which provides individualized exercise routines and dietary recommendations.

In the middle school category, first place was awarded to Ava Zernickow from Hebron Middle School for "Mindful Memory," an educational app for dementia patients and their families. Other winners included Callie Pryor's adoption resource app "Chosen" in second place, "Just Breathe" by Mia Johnson, Leela Schroerlucke, Philippa Bryant, and Elaine Paul in third place, which offers stress management tools, and "Mind Bible" by Katie Ousley & Evelyn Kardols in fourth place, which focuses on religious education.

The Congressional App Challenge was established by U.S. House Representatives in 2014 to promote creativity among students and encourage interest in STEM fields. Participants must be enrolled in middle or high school within the district. The first-place submission will attend the #HouseofCode Showcase in Washington D.C. this Spring.