WASHINGTON, DC -- A Prestonsburg High School student team has won the Congressional App Challenge for Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District for the fifth consecutive year. The winning team includes: Jenna Lewis, Bobbie Fisher, Nathaniel Curnutte and Samuel Carroll. They won the competition by developing the "Appalachia Opioid Prevention App." The mobile application provides five functions to help address drug abuse treatment and prevention options.

The app is designed to provide treatment options nearest to your current location; resources for Naloxone, a life-saving medication to revive someone during an overdose; educational information about how to react if someone overdoses in your presence; education and prevention videos to raise awareness in your community; and an overview of legislation that has been enacted to combat drug abuse.

The "Appalachia Opioid Prevention App" will be featured in the U.S. Capitol Building this year, representing Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District.

"The students at Prestonsburg High School are learning two vital lessons: not only are they learning a how to code, but they are learning how they can create a mobile resource that can change and even save lives. I'm incredibly proud that they identified the opioid epidemic as an issue that they wanted to impact in a positive way," said Congressman Rogers. "I applaud the ingenuity of our mountain students and their diligent work on this concept. We have incredibly talented students in Eastern Kentucky and I'm proud that their ideas will be on display in Washington, DC."

The Congressional App Challenge invites winners from across the country to showcase their apps to Members of Congress and members of the tech community at the House of Code, a reception on Capitol Hill that will be held in 2020.

"I really enjoy coding in class every day," said Bobbie Fisher, a member of the winning team. "This was an excellent experience to create a product as a team and I hope to do it again."

"Never, ever underestimate the power of a dedicated teacher and the desire of students to succeed," said Lori Bricken, Principal of Prestonsburg High School. "We are very proud of Dr. Shannon and his students."

"The students took on a topic that was very useful for our region. It is a pleasure to work with such a talented and unified team," said Dr. Jeff Shannon, IT Teacher.

"The Floyd County School system is excited about the work Dr. Shannon and his students accomplish each year for the App Challenge," said Danny Adkins, Superintendent of Floyd County Schools. "They have set the bar for the top competition nationally!"

The winning students will also receive $250 each in Amazon Web Service Credits.

To participate in the 2020 Congressional App Challenge, stay updated at https://halrogers.house.gov and on Facebook @CongressmanHalRogers.

Visit CongressionalAppChallenge.us to learn more about the annual competition.

Click here to watch the students' video demonstration of their app design. 

Prestonsburg High School Team
2019 Winners of the Congressional App Challenge

(Front row from left to right) Jenna Lewis, Bobbie Fisher, Nathaniel Curnutte and Samuel Carroll. (Back row) Floyd Co. Superintendent Danny Adkins and Dr. Jeff Shannon