Warner Robins Today

U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-08) recently celebrated the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in the Eighth District. Aarin Dave, a student at Lowndes High School, and Aarav Dave, a student at Hahira Middle School, were awarded first place for the second consecutive year for their app ICUSpeak. Rep. Scott commended the students for their achievements and highlighted the importance of their creativity in the STEM field.

"Congratulations to these talented students," Rep. Scott said. "It is great to see young students in our district using their creativity to participate in STEM."

ICUSpeak is an app designed to assist patients who have difficulty communicating with their healthcare providers and families after surgery. The app utilizes a hardware device with five buttons and a hand imprint, allowing patients to convey messages to the app. The app then utilizes Thunkable's text-to-speech technology to communicate these messages to healthcare providers. Aarin and Aarav have been invited to present their innovative app at UFHealth and are working towards bringing their creation into production this year.

The success of ICUSpeak has earned it a spot on the U.S. House of Representatives website and will be showcased in an exhibit at the U.S. Capitol Building alongside winners from other Congressional Districts across the country.

The first runner-ups in the competition were students from Bleckley County High School, Axel Briones, Bryant Sawyer, Aubrey Lewis, and Nate Knox, with their app Saving Seymour. The second runner-ups were Vangeesh Degala, Van Tran, Hieu Tran, and Anand Chahande from Houston County High School, who developed the app WizQuiz.

The Congressional App Challenge is an annual event that aims to foster student creativity and encourage their participation in STEM fields. This nationwide competition allows students to showcase their software applications, or "apps," for various platforms such as web, PC, tablet, and mobile. By engaging in this challenge, students have the opportunity to compete with their peers in their own Congressional District.

All current middle and high school students in the Eighth Congressional District are encouraged to prepare for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. Students can participate individually or in teams of up to four, as long as two members are eligible to compete in the district. Further details will be announced later this Spring.

For more information, interested individuals can visit Rep. Scott's website or contact his Warner Robins office at (478) 971-1776.