Congressman Pallone Announces 2017 App Challenge Winner

New Brunswick, NJ - Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced the winners of Sixth District’s 2017 Congressional App Challenge for high school students. Steven Vorona, Rishi Salwi, Kyle Liu, and Charvi Shah from High Tech High School in Middletown, NJ won for their app ‘EmergenServe’, an app designed to help first responders respond to emergencies. The App uses an intuitive platform to connect victims with first responders by providing detailed information on the type of and location of the emergency.

“The Congressional App Challenge is a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate their technical and creative skills,” said Pallone. “I congratulate Steven, Rishi, Kyle, and Charvi for their winning app and thank all of this year’s participants for their excellent work. It’s especially inspiring to see young people put their talents towards an app that will make a real difference in the lives of people and I applaud their compassion and creativity.

“As the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I have seen how innovative technology is creating new industries and opportunities for countless Americans. We must continue to make investments in STEM education in New Jersey to ensure the next generation has the skills and tools needed to keep the United States as the world’s top innovator for years to come.”

The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM education by encouraging high school students to learn how to code through the creation of their own apps. Entries to the competition in New Jersey's Sixth District were assessed by a panel of local experts on several criteria, including the demonstrated knowledge of coding and programming skills, as well as the quality and implementation of their ideas.

As a winning app in the contest, "EmergenServe" will be displayed on the Congressional App Challenge Website and on a digital display in the Capitol Building for the next year.