Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) announced the winners of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge for Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District.
Brayden Edwards, a seventh grader at …
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![App Challenge winners, from left, are cadet Brayden Edwards, instructor Keith Morgan, and cadet Hayden James. [MMA Photo]](https://beta.creativecirclecdn.com/mexicoledger/original/20220105-101055-MMA-Congressional-App-Challenge-2021.jpg)
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) announced the winners of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge for Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District.
Brayden Edwards, a seventh grader at Missouri Military Academy (MMA), was awarded first place for his “Avoid the Crystals!” app. Edwards created an original game through his app where players guide a spaceship around the screen trying to avoid crystals. Brayden is the son of Joseph and Sherry Edwards of Dorsey, Ill.
The second-place winner from Missouri’s Fourth District was the “Shortcuts” app created by Hayden James, a seventh grader at MMA. The application allows users to create links to their most used or favorite websites for easy access. Hayden is the son of Jennifer James of Kansas City, Missouri.
Over 300 members of the U.S. House of Representatives hosted Congressional App Challenge events in their districts, which aims to engage students in computer science. During the last four months, thousands of students coded original apps nationwide as part of the contest.
According to MMA Business Department Chair and Instructor Keith Morgan, MMA’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum and App Creators coursework dovetailed perfectly with the Congressional App Challenge timeline to prepare cadets for the competition. The cadets brainstormed ideas before working to complete their apps and worked to ensure they followed the Congressional App Challenge rules.
“I was excited to see the focus and initiative each cadet demonstrated,” Morgan said. “Brayden and Hayden both read the competition rules to be certain their work was what the CAC judges were asking for. They persisted and adhered to the challenging technical guidance for their submissions.”
First place finishers from each congressional district are invited to showcase their apps to the Members of Congress and members of the tech community at the Congressional App Challenge #HouseOfCode reception in the spring.
“It is satisfying to see these cadets do so well in this competition. This achievement will motivate them on to even deeper learning and personal growth,” Morgan added.
