Press Releases

                                                             Above: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester with Eesha Sagiraju, Ian Porell, and David Safro

WILMINGTON, Del. - Today, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) visited the Charter School of Wilmington to announce the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge. This year’s winners are Eesha Sagiraju, Ian Porell, and David Safro for their app called CoughScan. The app aims to detect COVID-19 through symptom tracking and a cough analysis feature which leverages AI technology. Blunt Rochester joined the winners for a demonstration of the app and presented them with certificates of recognition. Blunt Rochester’s office received a record number of Congressional App Challenge applications in 2023.

“The Congressional App Challenge proves year after year to be an excellent way to encourage innovation and ingenuity while fostering the development of STEM skills in our young people that will be critical in helping us address some of the most pressing issues of our time,” said Blunt Rochester. “I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to the CoughScan team for their hard work, coding skills, and teamwork that were instrumental in creating their winning app. To Eesha, Ian, and David and all the applicants of the Congressional App Challenge this year – keep up the excellent work!”

The Congressional App Challenge was officially launched in 2015 by Congress to encourage STEM and computer-based skills in middle school and high school students. The Congressional App Challenge is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of coding experience. Winners are selected by a panel of Delaware judges and receive an invitation to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Coding Exposition. Their apps are then featured in the U.S. Capitol, on House.gov, and the Congressional App Challenge website. 

Interested students can pre-register for the 2024 App Challenge at CongressionalAppChallenge.us. 

###