Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge for California’s Second Congressional District: Jayden Patel, an 8th grader at Del Mar Middle School in Tiburon. Jayden’s winning submission, Allergy Card, allows the user to create their own personal allergy card that can be translated into 15+ languages.
“We are lucky to have a district full of bright young minds, and it’s always inspiring to see the forward-looking apps they create in this yearly competition,” said Rep. Huffman. “Allergy Card is a brilliant idea that will help folks communicate their allergies and aversions across multiple languages – helping to keep people safe in a more affordable, accessible way.”
Jayden’s creation was inspired by his personal experience. He has a severe food allergy to nuts and sesame. When he traveled outside of the country it was difficult to eat at restaurants because the menus or the waiters did not speak English. While there are apps that function similarly, his app is easier to access and create while being more affordable.
Watch Jayden’s demonstration of his app Allergy Card here.
Established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, this Congressional App Challenge competition invites high school students from all participating congressional districts to compete by creating and exhibiting their software application for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice. It is designed to promote innovation and engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education fields.
Apps are judged based on the following criteria: quality of the idea, including creativity and originality; implementation of the idea, including user experience and design; and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.
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