WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) announced the 2023 Congressional App Challenge winner for Massachusetts’ Fifth Congressional District: Mori Finlayson-Johnecheck, a junior at Arlington High School.

Mori was awarded first place for his app BlockStatus, an all-in-one scheduling app designed to help high school students track important announcements and manage busy workloads.

“The Congressional App Challenge provides students across MA-5 with the opportunity to explore, innovate, and further develop their computer science skills. As always, I was blown away by each entry this year,” said Whip Clark. “Mori’s winning app demonstrates his expertise in coding and meets a critical need in his school community — connecting his peers with the resources they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. Congratulations, Mori!”

On developing his app, Finlayson-Johnecheck said, “In a large public school like mine, there can be a lot to manage every day. The class schedule changes daily, there are important school-wide announcements to keep track of, lunch schedules and menus rotate, and coordinating with your friends can be a logistical challenge. I created the BlockStatus app to help students save time and become more informed about their school day. The interest in the app has been incredibly positive, with the majority of students using the app daily and around 1,200 students having downloaded the app. Having so many of my peers benefit from my work inspires me to take their feedback and make the app more accessible and useful.”

The annual Congressional App Challenge was first launched in 2013 and is designed to inspire innovative efforts around STEM, coding, and computer science education for America’s youth. Each spring, middle and high school students from around the country are invited to participate. 

For more on these winning apps, visit Congresswoman Clark’s website.