On January 8, Speaker Mike Johnson announced the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District. Since 2013, the Congressional App Challenge has encouraged tens of thousands of young Americans to explore STEM, coding, and computer science and has connected members of Congress with emerging technologies.
This year’s applicants, four students from Caddo Magnet High School and Caddo Middle Magnet in Shreveport, were selected by a panel of four judges comprised of professors from local universities.
“Cal Capture,” the first-place app designed by Caddo Magnet High School senior Maya Trutschl, streamlines the process of converting dates on paper documents into calendar entries. The app utilizes optical character recognition (OCR) technology and machine learning to identify and recognize text and dates.
Maya will be invited to the House of Code and will receive a copyright fee waiver through the ARTS Act, and her app will be on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year.
Speaker Johnson encourages all students across Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District to participate in the annual Congressional App Challenge. To learn more, visit www.congressionalappchallenge.us or our website for more information on 2025 application and submission deadlines.
First Place Category
App: Cal Capture*
Designer: Maya Trutschl (Caddo Magnet High School)
App: Smart Bus Finder
Designer: Kevin Zhao (Caddo Magnet High School)
Runner Up Category
App: Kirby and the Rainbow Star
Designer: Steward Lokitz (Caddo Magnet High School)
App: Piano Practice Journey
Designer: Aiden Zhao (Caddo Middle Magnet School)
*Selected to represent the LA-04 Congressional District in the U.S. Capitol Building.