Celebrating Preethi Nethi: 7th Grade Congressional App Challenge Winner!

We are overjoyed to celebrate Preethi Nethi, a 7th grader at West Virginia Academy, who has been named the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in West Virginia’s Second District by Rep. Riley Moore!

Preethi’s winning project, PreventWildFires, is a web application that uses drones to capture images and process them in real time to identify areas with dry brush—helping prevent potentially devastating wildfires. When asked what inspired her project, Preethi shared, “Wildfires burning for days and weeks at a time, like the recent California fires, inspired me.” Her innovation is a brilliant example of applying technology to solve real-world challenges.

This year’s Congressional App Challenge set new records. 394 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives hosted App Challenges in their districts, the highest participation ever, and more than 13,800 students nationwide submitted over 4,600 original apps. Students tackled a wide range of problems, from health and accessibility to education, sustainability, and civic engagement.

The Congressional App Challenge is a national initiative that encourages middle and high school students to learn to code, explore computer science, and develop technology solutions that make a difference in their communities. Each Member of Congress selects a winning app, and winners are invited to showcase their work to Members of Congress, staff, and industry leaders at the annual #HouseOfCode celebration on Capitol Hill. Early next year, Preethi will have the amazing opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to share her project in person—a truly inspiring experience.

Preethi’s accomplishment is a shining example of innovation, dedication, and vision. We are so proud of her for using her skills to make a meaningful impact on the world, and we can’t wait to see all the incredible things she will accomplish in the future.

Congratulations, Preethi!