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BABBITT—Hard work has paid off for five students from the Northeast Range robotics team, called the Iron Mosquitos, who took part in a summer STEM camp that culminated with a win in the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Minnesota Eighth District.
The five students (Makenzie Little, Raeanna Medicine- Strand, Damien Medicine- Strand, Jada Medicine, and Makana Bodas) did the work on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club on the Bois Forte Res - ervation, both Nett Lake and Ver - milion Sectors.
The students, along with the help of robotics coach, Ryan Lindsay, In - digenous Support Advocate, Aman - da Koivisto, and Traditional Cul - ture support, Adrienne Whiteman, worked together to teach kids how to make bracelets with Ojibwe teachings on them, code dolls to move with loud noises, and design regalia to fit their dolls. This camp was a huge success with the kids having tons of fun testing their dolls with drum, Night Sky. That October, the team had the opportunity to enter the Con - gressional App Challenge, which is the most prestigious award for Computer Science in America. TV and Film teacher, Jennifer Kaufen - berg, helped the students make a video to explain what they did over the summer. On Jan. 15, the team discovered that they had WON for their Con - gressional 8th District and has been invited to the Nation's Capital in Washington, D.C to present what they named "Ninodew (We dance)" at the event "House of Code" on April 8 and 9 of this year. In preparation for this event the students are planning on making their own jewelry, ribbon skirts, and ribbon shirts to wear while they present the camp. Everyone is extremely excited about this WONDERFUL opportunity and is looking forward to sharing what they have worked on.
When asked what inspired the creation of Ninodew (We dance), the students replied that it was a team quest that started back in 2022 to bring more STEM and Ro - botics opportunities to the nearby reservation, Bois Forte-Nett Lake and Lake Vermilion, inspired them. They said they wanted to do something the kids could really be involved with and bring more STEM to our camps. Creating personal - ized regalia for 3D printed torsos/ bases was an idea many team mem - bers felt would be a great starting place. After many meetings, it was agreed that it would be super fun to have these torso/bases 'dance' to the drum like powwow danc - ing. When the beat hits, the torso connected to a servo would spin, just like a Jingle Dress dancer or a Woodland dancer.
This year's Congressional App Challenge set new records, with an unprecedented 382 Members of the House of Representatives host - ing competitions-surpassing the previous high of 374. An incredible 12,682 students from across the country participated, representing a growth of over 1,000 students from 2023. These talented students sub - mitted an astounding 3,881 origi - nal applications, showcasing their creativity, passion for technology, and the limitless potential of Amer - ica's next generation of innovators. This surge in participation reflects the increasing excitement around STEM and highlights a bright future for American innovation.
The Congressional App Chal - lenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue ca - reers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today's rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival.
