A young woman from Monroe is one of two winners of the 2019 Congressional App Challenge.
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Middlesex, Monmouth) announced the winners in New Jersey’s Sixth Congressional District on Jan. 6. Serena Zeng of Piscataway and Adhya Khare of Monroe won the award for their app called “myBus” that improves communication in school bus systems, including communication between students, parents, school officials and bus drivers.
The two girls attend school at Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies in Edison.
“The Congressional App Challenge is an important platform for students to showcase their technical and creative skills,” Pallone said in a prepared statement. “I congratulate Serena and Adhya for their winning app and applaud all the participants for their creativity. It’s inspiring to see young people create apps that are useful in their communities. In addition, I’m deeply grateful to the local experts who took the time to join the App Challenge and assess the submissions.
“As chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I see how critical innovative technology is for creating new industries and opportunities for Americans. I will continue to support investments in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education in New Jersey to ensure the next generation has the skills and tools needed to make sure the United States remains a leader in innovation and research.”
The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition that highlights 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, according to the statement.
As a winning app in the contest, “myBus” will be displayed on the Congressional App Challenge Website and on a digital display in the Capitol Building.