Press Releases

WILMINGTON, DE – Yesterday, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) congratulated the Delaware winners of the 2019 Congressional App Challenge (CAC), an app competition for students in high school and below. The winning team was Daniel Lee of Cab Calloway School of the Arts and Atharva Shanbhag of the Charter School of Wilmington. The team created the app MapShot. MapShot is an application designed so people can alert others in their communities about violence when they see it themselves through mapping services, alerts, and video tutorials on how to respond to emergencies. 

“This challenge continues to be an excellent opportunity to encourage students to expand their knowledge and practice coding in the STEM field,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “For America to remain an innovative leader, we must highlight STEM education so the next generation can thrive in our ever-evolving workforce. We had so many great submissions this year and while the Delaware judges could only choose one app, I was thoroughly impressed by all of the students and their submissions. I want to congratulate Daniel and Atharva, not only on the skill they displayed in the design of MapShot with no prior coding experience but for the relevance and practicality of their app. They are truly worthy winners. ”

“The Red Clay Consolidated School District is proud that two of our own have been selected as the 2019 Congressional App Challenge winners. Congratulations to Daniel and Atharva for demonstrating a call to action with their award-winning MapShot app,” said Red Clay Consolidated School District Superintendent, Dorrell Green.  “As we promote STEM education throughout all of our schools, it is humbling to see students translate skills and knowledge gained in the classroom, to practical solutions for the real world. Cab, Charter and Red Clay as a whole are proud of their achievements and wish them well as they represent Delaware on the national stage in Washington, D.C.”

“We are impressed and proud of Daniel and Artharva,” said Julie Rumschlag, Dean of Cab Calloway School of the Arts, and Angeline Rivello, Vice President of The Charter School of Wilmington. “Their commitment to making the world a better place is much needed. They are true leaders!”

The Challenge was open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of coding experience and winners were selected by a panel of judges. This year, 48 states and over 300 Members of Congress hosted a challenge yielding thousands of application entries across the nation. The winners will receive a $250 Amazon Web Services credit and an invitation to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Coding Exposition in D.C. Their apps will also be featured in the U.S. Capitol, on House.gov, and the Congressional App Challenge website.

The Congressional App Challenge was officially launched in 2015 and was created because Congress recognized that STEM and computer-based skills are essential for economic growth and innovation and that the U.S. has been falling behind in these areas. To maintain American competitiveness, it’s crucial that the U.S. invests in our youth today, so they have the needed skills that will prepare them for their careers. For more information about the Challenge, please visit: CongressionalAppChallenge.us. or call Rep. Blunt Rochester’s Wilmington Office at 302-830-2330. Students wishing to submit their apps for next year’s competition can expect the submission window to be open in September of 2020.  

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