Two Papillion La Vista High School seniors received special recognition as Congressman Mike Flood visited the school to personally congratulate them on winning the prestigious Congressional App Challenge for Nebraska's First District. Leo Geck and Kyle Van Sant demonstrated exceptional technological innovation and community awareness through their development of "Volunteer Opportunities of Nebraska," an app specifically designed to help high school students track and manage required volunteer hours.

The app addresses a common challenge faced by students who must complete volunteer requirements for graduation, academic programs, or extracurricular activities. By streamlining the process of finding, recording, and verifying volunteer hours, Geck and Van Sant's creation provides a valuable tool for students throughout Nebraska while showcasing the practical application of computer science skills to solve real-world problems.

The Congressional App Challenge represents an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host competitions in their districts to encourage middle and high school students to explore coding and pursue careers in computer science. The program aims to foster interest in STEM fields while highlighting the importance of technological literacy in today's increasingly digital economy.

This achievement reflects not only on the individual talents of the winning students but also on the quality of computer science education at Papillion La Vista High School and the district's commitment to preparing students for success in technology-focused fields. The award-winning application created by Geck and Van Sant can be viewed on the Congressional App Challenge website at https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/24-NE01/.