Moulton to Host Reception on February 22 with Finalists and Judges
SALEM – Today, Congressman Seth Moulton recognized the winner of the First Annual 2015 Congressional App Challenge for the Massachusetts Sixth District, Ashley DeFreitas, a sophomore at Austin Preparatory School in Reading. On Monday, February 22nd, Moulton will host a reception in his Salem district office welcoming DeFreitas, the two other finalists, judges and the students’ families and teachers.
The Congressional App Challenge is a competition within each congressional district aimed at encouraging U.S. high school students to learn how to code and create their own software applications. A panel of judges from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Office of Digital Learning reviewed the applications submitted by the nearly 20 Sixth District high school students who participated, and selected DeFreitas’ “Art Gallery” app as the winner along with two other finalists.
“I’m grateful to Ashley, our two team finalists, and all our district students who took part in this competition,” said Moulton. “The volume and quality of applications shows a great deal of creativity and engagement in the computer science field. A solid understanding of technology is critical for students entering a 21st century workforce, and I am committed to supporting education policies in Congress that adequately prepare students to be successful in a competitive global economy.”
Ashley DeFreitas’ application, Art Gallery, is a tool for users to easily upload and share artwork. “I am hoping that this app helps to foster a digital artist’s community so that people who may not live near a big city could still get feedback, have discussions, and share ideas with artists in other parts of the country or globe,” said DeFreitas.
