Debbie Lilly of Weston, a student at Gann Academy, won the 2019 Congressional App Challenge for Massachusetts’ Fifth Congressional District.

Lilly applied her coding skills to create Savery, a digital app to educate people on food waste and how they can reduce the amount of food thrown away.

The app informs users on how to utilize leftover ingredients in their kitchens, providing an innovative and interactive platform for users to manage their food and reduce food waste.

“I commend Debbie for putting her technical skills to use on a topic that is so important to communities both in Massachusetts and around the country,” said U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-5th. “Forty percent of the food produced in the United States each year is never eaten, and most of the food we throw away ends up in landfills that municipalities are struggling to contain as recycling costs continue to soar.

“Debbie’s creative app empowers families with the resources to make sustainable choices that can lower their food expenses, reduce their carbon footprint, and alleviate the waste treatment burdens put upon their local communities.”

Clark added, “I also want to thank every ... student who took part in this competition. All of your achievements were unique and impressive, and I am inspired by the enthusiasm you’ve shown to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our country with your STEM knowledge and skills.

The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle school and high school students in Massachusetts’ Fifth Congressional District. The winning app is displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building and featured on the House of Representatives’ website.

“The Congressional App Challenge is a fantastic way of encouraging today’s students to become tomorrow’s innovators,” Clark said.

Winning students are invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington, D.C., and will receive $250 in Amazon Web Services credits.

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Original story here.