Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) announced that Chilok Mak (10th Grade) at Berkeley Preparatory School, was awarded the top prize in her annual congressional app challenge with his app, “RipGuard.” The app was created through AI and aims to help beachgoers identify rip currents in the water to increase safety measures for swimmers. The winner will be recognized at the U.S. Capitol for the House of Code celebration in the spring alongside other winners of congressional app competitions from throughout 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. With the emerging integration of AI technologies in our everyday life, it is critical that our youth not only understand this technology, but can use it to positively impact our neighbors and our country. I’m grateful for Chilok’s dedication to science, technology, and the wellbeing of his neighbors in the Tampa Bay area and look forward to him representing our community in the halls of the U.S. Capitol in the spring,” said Rep. Castor.  

“Living in Tampa and regularly hanging out at local beaches like Clearwater and Fort DeSoto, my mother always warned me to watch out for rip currents. I learned to spot them and watch out for myself, but I realized that many beachgoers don't know what rip currents are or how to identify them. Some beaches employ lifeguards to address the dangers posed by rip currents. However, what about the numerous unsupervised beaches where help isn't readily available? How can beachgoers protect themselves in those situations? Not everyone is a good swimmer and most people can't identify these hazards. I started thinking about more efficient solutions and turned my attention to artificial intelligence and computer vision as potential tools to combat these threats. What if every beachgoer had an AI-powered mobile app that could scan and identify rip currents, warning users and potentially saving lives? Thus, RipGuard was born.” said Chilok about “RipGuard.”

A video demonstration of Chilok’s app is available here.

The Congressional App Challenge has inspired tens of thousands of students nationwide to learn to code. With the support from 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 increasing numbers of Congressional hosts and 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 2025. For more information about the Congressional App Challenge and how to be involved in Rep. Castor’s 2025 challenge, visit HOME - (congressionalappchallenge.us).

Photos from the event can be viewed here.