Real Apps with Real Code.
These aren't tutorial projects — every app here was dreamed up and built by a LabCats student.
What LabCats Students Actually Build
Every student in the Make Your Own Web App course builds something original — an app they designed, a problem they wanted to solve, a tool they actually wanted to use. The Congressional App Challenge gives them a deadline and a goal. What they build after that is up to them.
One of these apps is used as a teaching tool in a DC public school. Most have been entered in the Congressional App Challenge. At least one has won.
The Zhi Book
Created by a Wilson student, this app is based on the teaching methods and material of the Alice Deal Middle School Chinese teacher, Mr. Zhi. The two have worked together to create an app makes it easier for students to learn Chinese.
- Notebook section simulating a proven learning environment for the STAMP test
- Practice section for writing sentences and understanding Chinese in context
- Entertainment section for full language immersion
- Memorization section with flashcards, matching, and fill-in-the-blanks
PHP • MySQL • HTML/CSS
Closet Shuffle
What should I wear? It's a simple question with a surprisingly complex answer. This student built a full recommendation engine that takes weather, activity, and color preferences and generates an outfit. You can add your own clothes with photos, save outfits you love, and even share your closet with friends to borrow items.
- Generates outfits based on weather, activity, and color preferences
- Add your own clothing with photos
- Save outfits you love — regenerate ones you don't
- Closet sharing with friends and borrow requests
PHP • MySQL • JavaScript • HTML/CSS
Mountain Mapping
Like to ski or board and always looking for a new mountain that fits your skill level and style? An avid skier who wanted a better way to find mountains that matched their skill level and style. The result is a searchable database of ski mountains across North America — filterable by difficulty, style, and personal preferences. The student built the entire data architecture from scratch.
- Search and filter ski mountains across North America
- Set personal ratings for mountains you've visited
- Add mountains to your wishlist
- User preferences to tailor recommendations
PHP • MySQL • API
Hiker Hunt
Getting kids excited about hiking is hard. This student's solution: turn the trail into a scavenger hunt. HikerHunt generates personalized hunts based on your location, assigns point values to each find, and tracks scores on a leaderboard by park. The items are tailored to where you're actually hiking — not a generic list.
- Personalized scavenger hunts based on your hiking location
- Point values assigned to each item
- User accounts to track points over multiple hikes
- Leaderboard by park to compete with family and friends
PHP • MySQL • Chat Feature
Ultimate: The Guide
Ultimate Frisbee is notoriously hard to learn from a rulebook alone. This student — a passionate player — built a full teaching tool with lessons, quizzes, videos, and a community message board. The goal was to make the sport more accessible to new players. It was entered in the Congressional App Challenge.
- Structured lessons on rules and gameplay with quizzes
- Video library for visual learners
- Complete official rule book
- Community message board for players to connect
PHP • MySQL • Chat Feature
Flow Bros
Competitive debaters take notes called 'flows' during tournament rounds — tracking opponents' arguments in real time. Right now that knowledge stays on one person's paper. FlowBros lets the whole team share, search, and build on those notes. It's a tool built by a debater, for debaters.
- Upload flows by photo or typed text with searchable tags
- Search the database by school, topic, event, and date
- Three-tier privacy — public, team-only, or friends
- Coach accounts with elevated permissions for team announcements
PHP • MySQL • File Upload
Gift Generator
Finding the right gift for the right person is genuinely hard. This student built a recommendation engine that takes recipient age, interests, and budget and returns personalized gift ideas — organized into lists by recipient and occasion. The Secret Santa feature lets whole groups coordinate gift exchanges through the app.
- Enter recipient age, interests, and budget for personalized ideas
- Save gifts into lists organized by recipient and occasion
- Secret Santa feature for group gift exchanges
- Public lists so others can browse for inspiration
PHP • MySQL • Search Algorithm
MVP Workout
Not everyone has access to a trainer, and most workout apps are overwhelming. This student built a generator that asks what you want to work on and what equipment you have — and gives you a workout. A tagged database of exercises powers the recommendations. Log your sessions, rate them, and share routines with friends.
- Generate custom workouts by muscle group and available equipment
- Tag-based exercise database for precise filtering
- Log past workouts with ratings and comments
- Share routines via email or text
PHP • MySQL • Tagged Exercise DB
// the competition
Congressional App Challenge
Every year Congress runs a coding competition open to all US high school students. Students submit apps for their Congressional District — and winning means your app gets displayed in the US Capitol.
Every student in the Make Your Own Web App course enters. The deadline creates real motivation. The competition creates real pride. The skills last a lifetime.
Annual
Competition held every year.
All 50
States Participate by district
US Capitol
Winning Apps Displayed in Congress
Want to build something like this?
Start with How to Build a Website this summer — or jump straight into Make Your Own Web App if you already know the basics.
