The Code Girls United team “Tech Trio” has won the Montana Congressional App Challenge.

This is the second consecutive year a Code Girls United Team will represent Montana in the nationwide challenge, which seeks to encourage middle and high school students from around the country to learn how to code and pursue computer science careers, according to www.congressionalappchallenge.us. Winning apps from participating congressional districts will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

The Kalispell team’s winning app, “Drive Right,” aims to improve people’s understanding of Montana driving laws in a fun and interactive way.

Teammates Emma Anderson, Isabelle Ashley and Makayla Davenport wanted to develop the app because they felt there was a lack of understanding of state driving laws after the November 2019 tragedy when Olney-Bissell School student Jordana Hubble was hit by a car while trying to cross the highway after it failed to stop for a bus. Hubble sustained a traumatic brain injury and underwent intensive rehabilitation at a Houston hospital, returning home in August to continue her recovery.

In June, the team also reached the semifinals in a global competition called the International Technovation Challenge.

The app includes a flashcard page with preloaded and user-defined cards; a game that provides scenarios with commonly confused driving situations; quizzes with questions on the state driver exam; a Department of Motor Vehicles finder; Montana driving laws and helpful driving tips.

Code Girls United is an after-school program that teaches coding and business skills to girls in grades four through eight.

The girls conducted research with the Montana Highway Patrol and Montana Department of Transportation to develop their app.

Visit https://bit.ly/37Vtic8 to learn more about the Drive Right app. For more information about Code Girls United visit https://codegirlsunited.org.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].