Press Releases

 LOWELL, MA - Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced Westford eighth graders, Arav Jain and Som Lunavat, the winners of the Third Congressional District’s annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC). The two students’ application, Work for Cause, was selected by a panel of local judges from a pool of submissions from middle and high school students who participated in this year’s competition.

"The Congressional App Challenge is a great way to recognize the incredible innovation and coding ability of students across the nation and here, in Massachusetts’ Third District," said Congresswoman Trahan. “I am grateful to all of the students who put countless hours of hard work into their submissions and made this decision difficult for our judges. I am thrilled to award this year’s winners, Arav Jain and Som Lunavat. As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we have relied heavily on community resources to continually support those struggling the most, and this new app will allow these vital organizations to stay even more connected to their volunteers.” 

The Work for Cause application helps nonprofit organizations connect with volunteers from the technology community. In order to improve engagement with their community, nonprofit organizations need to develop videos and produce web applications and mobile content. Many nonprofits find themselves unable to afford these necessities, putting them at a disadvantage in their community. This new app connects nonprofit organizations to the technological assistance they need to ensure their resources are as accessible as possible to employees, volunteers, and those they serve.

“I would like to thank Congresswoman Lori Trahan for recognizing WorkForCause.org app as the winner of our district. With this app, I hope to help non profit organizations get the volunteers they need and help our community,” said Arav Jain.

“The Congressional App Challenge motivated me to develop this app and try to make a difference in our lives using technology. I learned new programming skills, applied them on the project and also had fun working under a timeline,” said Som Lunavat.

Background:

Congresswoman Trahan’s office invited several STEM experts from local communities to judge the challenge: Lisa deBettencourt, Founder and Principal at Forge Harmonic, Dana Chisnell, Lead instructor for Tech Executive Leadership Initiative, Thad Kerosky,  Co-Founder of Code for Boston, and Abigail Cossette, Computer Science Major at Northeastern University. The Congressional App Challenge began in 2013, and since then, the CAC has inspired over 14,000 students across 48 states to program an app.

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