GMHS Students’ Stand Up! App Wins Award
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) announced the inaugural winners of the Fifth District Congressional App Competition: Paris Ferguson, Kamesha Hicks, Rainbow Lewis, Señora Louis, Jameia Lynn, Elizabeth Pratt, and Kayla Young, all students from Great Mills High School in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.
The students created Stand Up!, an app aimed at raising awareness of cyber bullying for teen girls, bystanders, and parents.
“I’m pleased to announce that an impressive group of bright and innovative young women from Great Mills, Maryland have been selected as our inaugural Fifth District Congressional App Competition winners,” stated Congressman Hoyer. “I’m also pleased that they chose to confront such a critical issue with their work. Cyber bullying is an issue that needs more attention so that we can better protect our children in this digital era.”
The Stand Up! app includes different ways to raise awareness, share experiences, reach out for help, and prevent or stop cyber bullying. The students created both a pitch video and a hands-on demonstration video for the app.
Established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, this competition is a nationwide event that invites students from all participating Congressional districts to compete. Individuals or groups can compete by creating and presenting an original software application, or “app,” for a mobile, tablet, or computer platform of their choice.
The contest, modeled off the long-successful Congressional Art Competition, is designed to promote innovation and engagement in the STEM education fields. Students entering the competition submit source code along with an online video that explains and demonstrates their app and what they learned through the competition process.
“I’m excited by the success of our first year hosting this Congressional App Competition, as it encourages students to be creative and innovative in computer science and other STEM fields – areas of increasing importance where we see significant growth in well-paying job opportunities,” said Rep. Hoyer. I look forward to seeing the winning app on display in the Capitol building, and I thank all who participated in the competition.”
More details on the competition and helpful programming resources can be found on Congressman Hoyer’s app competition webpage or on the national app competition webpage.
The students will soon receive certificates from Congressman Hoyer at a reception in their honor, and a video presentation of their app will be on display in the U.S. Capitol for the following year.
