U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal visited McAuliffe Middle School to honor 55 sixth-grade students for their ingenuity and teamwork in the Congressional App Challenge. The students, led by teacher James Danforth, created a variety of apps to solve real world problems as part of the congressional effort to further student exploration of computer science, teamwork, and design thinking.
Lowenthal, a Democrat, represents the 47th Congressional District which includes parts of Long Beach, Garden Grove, Westminster, Stanton, Los Alamitos, Cypress, and Catalina Island. He presented each student with a Certificate of Recognition for their hard work and accomplishment in the challenge.
The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide academic competition focused on Engineering and Math (STEM). This year, over 10,000 students across the nation registered for the challenge and produced 2,177 functioning apps.
McAuliffe Principal Ryan Weiss-Wright said students designed apps of immediate relevance to their peers. One was designed for kids who are having a hard day or experiencing something difficult. The app provides the user with inspirational quotes and positive messages to help motivate them to persevere through their trials.
Another app, similar to Yelp, features reviews of restaurants in the Los Alamitos area written through a middle-school lens. “Reviewed by teenagers for teenagers,” Weiss-Wright said.
“Mr. Danforth and his STEM I students are a great example of McAuliffe’s mission to never be afraid to dream and of our ongoing effort to connect students to school and the world around them,” he said. “They were given a unique opportunity to dream of an app that could make a difference in the world, and I am very proud of them and what they accomplished.”
