Eagle Ridge, EPHS students win top spots in Congressional App Challenge

Students from Eagle Ridge Academy and Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) who used their computer science skills to create problem-solving apps have placed first and second in the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Minnesota’s Third District.

Sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Congressional App Challenge aims to highlight computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. The competition was created in 2015.

The local competition, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, is open to all middle and high school students living or attending school in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District at the time of app submission. Students may compete individually or in small teams.

Ananya Murugavel, a 10th grader who lives in Eden Prairie and attends Eagle Ridge Academy, won first place with an app she designed to track volunteer hours. Her project is featured on the Congressional App Challenge website and will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Murugavel will also be invited to #HouseOfCode, a national computer science event held in Washington, D.C.

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In her application for the competition, Murugavel said she created her app, act1on 4 chang3, because she was having a tough time keeping track of the summer volunteer hours she does at a variety of local programs.

Realizing her friends were struggling with the same problem, she said, “This inspired me to make this app to not only help people keep track of their volunteer activities and hours but to also encourage students to volunteer.

“I have been inspired by outstanding efforts from numerous organizations and individuals making a difference in many problems around the country, and I wanted to advance that by making a volunteer’s life easier,” she said.

Twelfth grader Srikar Sannapareddy and 11th grader Rishi Naagappan, both EPHS students, earned a joint second-place win with their app, which helps make course selection easier for students.

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In a recent EP Schools Facebook post, Sannapareddy and Naagappan said, “This project was more than just building an app; it was a personal and professional growth journey. I’ve come out of it not just with a product I’m proud of but also with a much richer set of skills and a deeper understanding of what it takes to bring a complex project from concept to reality.”

Zach Hanson, a math and computer science educator at EPHS who teaches the iOS capstone, said he was “incredibly proud” of the boys, who have taken several computer science classes at EPHS. He said their course guide app “will serve as a pilot for a future application that will be used in the near future.”

He added, “Srikar and Rishi are a perfect demonstration of the amazing students we have at EPHS. This award shows the dedication and passion they have to solve real-world challenges. They are making a tangible difference in our school community with the skills and talents they have developed.”