Okaloosa County School District students recently demonstrated their coding skills during the
2018 Congressional App Challenge at the University of West Florida. Hosted locally by Representative Matt Gaetz, the Congressional App Challenge is a national competition aimed at encouraging U.S. students to learn coding by creating their own applications. Okaloosa County students finished in the top three places of the competition.
“I am very proud of my students. This is the first year we competed, and now we know what to expect next year. All of the students worked hard on their apps, and I look forward to preparing them to be even stronger coders in the next competition,” stated Carrie Foxhall, a web programming instructor at Niceville High School.
First place went to Niceville High School students Joshua Delamater, Sam Cota, and Ethan Shelstad. Their app, Vanguard Volunteering, helps students find and track volunteering opportunities. Second place went to Collin Padgett, Maquire Holahan, Abbie Stanford, and Austin Mason, also from Niceville High School. Their Dear Senses app was created to assist elderly or disabled individuals in determining possible hearing, sight, or reflex problems. Third place went to Crestview High School students Vincent Cipriano and Christian Jernigan, who created a game for entertainment purposes.
Winners received cash, gift cards, and gift certificates and also have the opportunity to attend a reception on Capitol Hill in April. Additionally, winning apps are eligible for display in the Capitol and on the House of Representatives website.