4th District Congressman Jim Himes says the 2019 Congressional App Challenge winner is a freshman at Wilton High School.  Avni Gupta created the app, the Food Allergy Scanner. 

The program uses a cellphone’s camera to scan food item barcodes to notify the user if there are any present allergens associated with the user’s profile. Her winning app will be featured in the U.S. Capitol building and can also be seen on House.gov. 

Himes says the advanced programming and digital skills students are learning are preparing them to succeed in future STEM careers. This annual challenge is hosted by the House of Representatives to inspire high schoolers to explore coding with hands-on practice and to include underrepresented communities and women into the technology field. In its third year in Connecticut’s Fourth District, the competition drew a record number of entries.