For the eighth year in a row, Carrollton High School has won the Congressional App Challenge, a nationwide initiative to promote the importance of computer science. This year, students created an application titled NexStep, focused on college readiness, including checklists and guidance for each year of high school. The team will present the app to Congress in Washington, D.C., at the annual #HouseOfCode festival on Capitol Hill.
Spearheaded by the U.S. House of Representatives and supported by leading industry companies like Apple, Amazon, Meta, the Broadcom Foundation, and Comcast, among others, the program aims to inspire middle and high school students to explore the field of computer science. Members of Congress are responsible for organizing the contests in their respective districts, and Rep. Brian Jack chose the winning app for Georgia’s Third District.
“Mr. Blakemore and his students have worked incredibly hard to produce high-quality content for the Congressional App Challenge, allowing them to stand out and be selected for this honor,” said CHS Principal Ian Lyle. “I am proud of their hard work and know that they will continue to represent Carrollton High School well at the program in D.C. later this spring.”
The team of student creators, senior Omar DeJesus, junior Wade Ballard, junior Juliet Browning, and sophomore Alaina Dhople created their app called NexStep to serve as a tool for students to manage their goals and take the extra steps needed to excel in college applications. This marks Omar’s third year winning this competition and Alaina and Wade’s second, with Juliet joining the team for the first time. When considering ideas for this year’s app, the team looked for areas that students could use additional support or guidance. Knowing the competitive landscape of college admissions, these students wanted to develop an app that would be both practical and supportive for their peers.
NexStep features interactive grade-level maps that guide students through critical milestones. Each goal provides actionable insights into the purpose and execution of every task. For example, the app explains the importance of campus involvement to freshmen and provides clear steps for joining a club. By completing these checkpoints, students can easily track their progress toward building the robust portfolios required for college applications.
CHS computer science teacher Robby Blakemore encourages his students to use technology to create effective and meaningful solutions, and the Congressional App Challenge team rose to the occasion again this year.
“I challenge my students to use their learning to solve real-world issues,” Blakemore said. “This year, they took on education inequality and their creativity showed what’s possible when students are empowered to lead.”
Knowing their fellow CHS students can benefit from their app made the experience even more meaningful for the team.
Two-time winner Wade Ballard said, “Representing Carrollton High School at the House of Code will be an incredible opportunity. More than anything, I’m proud that our work has the potential to help those around me.”
Blakemore noted that this new app is in the final stages of publishing, but other CHS teams have created apps that are available and free to download in the App Store, including last year’s App Challenge winner, TrojanAdvocate.
