U.S. Rep. Castor Announces 2025 Congressional App Challenge Winner

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) announced that Sharan Santharam Srinivasan, Ammar Omar and Sujay Korada, 12th graders from Robinson High School, were awarded the top prize in her annual congressional app challenge with their app "SunScreened." The app was created with JavaScript and AI image processing and aims to help Americans understand the harms of UV rays and the importance of sunscreen for overall skin health. The winner will be recognized at the U.S. Capitol during the House of Code celebration in the spring, alongside other winners of congressional app competitions from across the country.

"Encouraging students to explore STEM fields through the app challenge is a great way to help younger generations learn about science and technology in a creative manner and spark their interest in the STEM workforce. It is incredible to see students across the Tampa Bay area combine public good with technology. I am proud that this app will represent the 14th District, and I know it will help not only our neighbors in the Sunshine State but Americans across the country. I'm grateful for Sharan, Ammar and Sujay's dedication to science, technology, and the well-being of their neighbors in the Tampa Bay area and look forward to them representing our community in the halls of the U.S. Capitol in the spring," said Rep. Castor.

"The Florida sun is unforgettable. It presses down on you in strong heat waves. On the soccer field, the grass sticks to your legs, the sweat trickles down, and the sunlight burns itself into your memory. We loved that feeling: the energy, the adrenaline, and the brightness that defined every Floridian's afternoon. We got used to the heat and humidity, but never thought much about the sun itself. Everyone loves to tan since sunburns are a symbolic badge of summer, and something to laugh about, but what we didn't realize was that while we were chasing the glow, the sun was taking a quiet toll on our skin. That's when the realization sparked Sunscreened. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S and in Florida. We wanted to create something that would transform awareness into action. An app that helps people understand their relationship with the sun. Sunscreened employs real-time UV tracking, personalized SPF recommendations, burn-time calculations, and AI-powered skin analysis," said Sharan, Ammar and Sujay.

A video demonstration of the app is available here.

The Congressional App Challenge has inspired tens of thousands of students nationwide to learn to code. With the support of their Member of Congress, these students have produced apps that address problems locally, nationally, and globally. The numbers don't lie: each year, they have more Congressional hosts and more diverse student participants from underrepresented communities. According to the National Science Foundation, in 2021, nearly a quarter (24%) of individuals in the U.S. workforce were employed in STEM occupations.

The House of Code featuring the student's app will be on display at the U.S. Capitol in the spring of 2026. For more information about the Congressional App Challenge and how to be involved in Rep. Castor's 2026 challenge, visit HOME - (congressionalappchallenge.us).