Published on January 13, 2025
On December 20, seniors Claire Diffenbach, Linnea Miller, and Isaac Widders were thrilled to learn they had won the Congressional App Challenge for House Representatives - District 11.
The journey to success began last spring when the trio started developing their app for the PA Media and Design Competition, where they earned 2nd place at the regional level. Using feedback from the judges, they worked tirelessly this fall, dedicating countless hours during study halls and flex periods to refine and perfect their app.
Their app, Plant Pulse, is designed to actively monitor plant conditions, including light levels, soil moisture, temperature, and humidity. It features a user-friendly graphic interface that displays the plant’s current status compared to its ideal conditions. The app utilizes Phidgets—programmable hardware that collects live data—making Plant Pulse both innovative and practical.
The students credit their computer science teacher, Mr. Wile, for his instrumental role in their success. They shared that Mr. Wile encouraged them to enter the competition, helped them learn the coding skills necessary to create the app, and provided the hardware for the project. They expressed deep gratitude for his unwavering support and guidance throughout the process.
As part of their victory, the students had the unique opportunity to meet with Congressman Lloyd Smucker. During their meeting, they explained how their app works and emphasized the importance of computer science education in schools.
In April, Claire, Linnea, and Isaac will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the prestigious #HouseOfCode event. There, they will present Plant Pulse to House Representatives, connect with other high school students passionate about computer science, and engage with partners and sponsors of the Congressional App Challenge, including tech leaders like Snapchat and Meta.
Reflecting on the win, Isaac Widders shared, “It felt great winning first in the Congressional App Challenge. We are honored to be invited to the capital for the House of Code and to be recognized by the congressman for our computer science project.”
We are incredibly proud of Claire, Linnea, and Isaac for their hard work and remarkable achievement. We wish them the best of luck as they prepare for April’s event!