Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) today announced the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge for the Fourth District of New Jersey.

            The annual competition hosted by Smith is aimed at promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills among high school students and emphasizes the importance of these skills for the future, especially in areas of the US econo  my like cybersecurity and intellectual property.

            “Congratulations to Charlie Brekke, Jordan Denzler, and Garrett Stemetzki from Communications High School in Wall Township for winning this year’s competition with their app ‘Wilderly,’” said Smith.

            “Their app is not only innovative and creative but also educational, as it is designed to teach young children about the invasive as well as endangered species in our area through interaction with environmental organizations and nature,” Smith said.

            Communications High School is one of five career academies operated by the Monmouth County Vocational School District, and students come from all municipalities in Monmouth County.

            “We were inspired to create this app from our own experiences learning about these topics in school,” the winning team said. “We felt that this education would have been further improved had we been able to go out and find these species in nature. Additionally, we believe that providing an outlet where kids could learn while simultaneously having fun would provide the best environment for developing a love for, a knowledge of, and an appreciation for nature.”

            “In their description of the project, the students used information they learned in the classroom about invasive threats to the Garden State and how invasive species impact all of us,” said Smith.

            The winning team of Brekke, Denzler, and Stemetzki was selected by a panel of judges that evaluated the app submissions from high schools across the Fourth Congressional District.

            The Congressional App Challenge—simultaneously held in multiple congressional districts across the United States—is intended for students to showcase their software app-developing skills as part of a nationwide competition administered by Members of Congress.

            Established in 2014, the Congressional App Challenge has become the largest student computer science competition in the world. The challenge was created to foster STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills among students and emphasize the importance of these skills for the future, especially in areas of the US economy like cybersecurity and intellectual property.

            Middle and high school students from our Fourth Congressional District who are interested in participating in next year’s contest should contact Rep. Smith’s Toms River Office at 732-504-0567 or his Middletown Office at 732-780-3035.

###