Congressional App Challenge
The 1st Congressional District will be participating in the third annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC), an app competition for U.S. high school students.
The Congressional App Challenge is open to all high school students in the 1st Congressional District of Iowa. Students entering the competition must submit their app’s source code online during the Competition Submission Period between 12 PM (noon) Eastern Standard Time on July 18th, 2016, and 11:59 PM (midnight) Eastern Daylight Time on November 2nd, 2016, as well as provide a YouTube or VIMEO video demo explaining their app and what they learned through this competition process.
The winner from the 1st Congressional District, chosen by an independent panel of expert judges, will be featured on StudentAppChallenge.us, and the winning app will also be on display in the U.S. Capitol, honoring the winners from across the country. More details will be released as the Submission Period approaches. For more information, please visit the official Congressional App Challenge website.
The challenge submission period will run through November 2nd, 2016. Winners will be selected by panels of local judges and honored by Rep. Blum. The apps will be featured on a display in the Capitol building. For contest rules, registration and eligibility information, contact Alexah Rogge in Rep. Blum’s Cedar Rapids Office at (563) 581-8105 or Alexah.Rogge@mail.house.gov.
This year marks the third annual Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academic Competition, the “Congressional App Challenge.” The CAC was created because Congress recognized that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17% between 2008 and 2018, compared to 9.8% growth for non-STEM occupations. According to some estimates, the U.S. may be short as many as 3 million high-skilled workers by 2018. To maintain American competitiveness, it is crucial that the U.S. industry invest in our youth now and help them acquire necessary STEM-based skills. The CAC highlights and encourages students to pursue those skills.
This competition is designed to engage student creativity and encourage their participation in STEM education fields. Established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, this competition is part of a nationwide event that allows high school students from across the country to compete by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice. It is designed to promote innovation and engagement in STEM education fields.
Apps are judged based on the following criteria: quality of the idea, including creativity and originality; implementation of the idea, including user experience and design; and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.