TIME Magazine’s 2020 Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao Wins Colorado’s 4th District Congressional App Challenge – Image Courtesy buck.house.gov
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ken Buck (R-Colo.) announced the winner of the Congressional App Challenge for Colorado's 4th Congressional District. Gitanjali Rao, a student at STEM School Highlands Ranch and TIME's 2020 Kid of the Year, received top honors for her app, “Kindly.” Gitanjali's one-of-a-kind app strives to make a difference in the world by detecting and preventing cyberbullying at an early stage based on artificial intelligence algorithms. In a 2020 study, one in five tweens (9 to 12 years old) in the United States report being cyberbullied, cyberbullying others or having seen cyberbullying.
Congressman Ken Buck made the following statement:
“I'm excited to announce Gitanjali Rao of Lone Tree as the Fourth District Congressional App Challenge winner. Gitanjali's cyberbullying prevention app is so important in today's world, where so many young people are affected by cyberbullying at school and in their communities. Her app is just one of the many impressive innovations Gintanjali has accomplished as TIME's 2020 Kid of the Year, which makes the Fourth District very proud of her,” Rep. Ken Buck said. “Thank you to all the students who participated in the Congressional App Challenge this year.”
Rep. Buck will participate in a formal ceremony presenting Gitanjali Rao with honors for her win later this month.
BACKGROUND:
Gitanjali Rao, a 15-year-old inventor, author, scientist, and STEM promoter from Lone Tree, Colorado, is the first-ever TIME's 2020 Kid of the Year. She won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2017 and was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her innovations. Rao was named a TIME Top Young Innovator in 2020 for the innovation workshops that she conducts across the globe, and on December 4, 2020, she was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine for being named their first “Kid of the Year.”
Congress conducts the Congressional App Challenge every year to encourage students around the country to develop their STEM skills. Students compete within their congressional districts, and then the winner from each District has the opportunity to showcase their app in the nation's capital. In the 4th District, entries were judged by professional programmers from the community.
Source: Press Release Date: January 5, 2021 buck.house.gov