Land O’ Lakes Student Wins Congressional App Challenge

LAND O’ LAKES, FL – In the nine years since smart phones have been around, apps have grown from a novelty to tools used in everyday life. A Land O’ Lakes student developed an app he hopes will be an everyday tool for students.

Congressman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., recently announced that Nikhil Dutt won the 2016 Congressional App Challenge for Florida’s 12th Congressional District.

Dutt’s app, Student Toolbox, was designed to simplify students’ lives. The app helps students organize tasks, with tools such as reminders for assignment due dates; connect with teachers and peers through an address book; map out classrooms by uploading maps of the school; and a Media button to upload podcasts, assignments and lectures from classes or online resources.

Dutt used a Microsoft Access program to create Student Toolbox.

“At Land O’ Lakes, we’re always pleased to see our students go a step beyond their daily classroom experiences,” said Assistant Principal Jeff Morgenstein. “Nikhil’s work demonstrates how he blends his scientific interests with an understanding of others’ needs. With technology like smartphones in nearly every student’s hands, this app can become a powerful resource for learning.”

A senior in the school’s International Baccalaureate Program, Dutt participated in the project as a side interest.

Submissions to the Congressional App Challenge were judged by a panel made up of teachers, tech professionals and entrepreneurs. The judging criteria included:

• Quality of the idea (including creativity and originality)
• Implementation of the idea (including user experience and design)
• Demonstrate excellence of coding and programming skills.

The Congressional App Challenge is a congressional initiative, managed by the non-profit Internet Education Foundation. It was first established by the Congressional Internet Caucus, with co-chairs Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) spearheading the effort.

In 2015 the App Challenge had 116 successful App Challenges hosted by members of Congress, more than 1,700 student participants and more than 500 apps submitted. So far, 161 members of Congress from 38 states are participating in the 2016 challenge.

Image and video via Nikhil Dutt’s YouTube channel