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Pallone Congratulates Winners of 2016 Congressional App Challenge

January 17, 2017

New Brunswick, NJ – Today Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) congratulated the winners of the 6th District’s 2016 Congressional App Challenge for high school students. Steven Verona, Rishi Salwi, and Charvi Shah from High Tech High School in Middletown, NJ won for their app ‘Parkinsafe’, an app designed for Parkinson's patients to help stabilize screens.

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“The Congressional App Challenge is a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate their technical and creative skills,” said Pallone. “I congratulate Steven, Rishi, 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 suffering from Parkinson’s 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, "ParkinSafe" will be displayed on the Congressional App Challenge Website and on a digital display in the Capitol Building for the next year.