Congressman Bruce Westerman

Representing the 4th District of Arkansas

App Challenge

Established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, this challenge is a nationwide event that allows 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.

Throughout the competition period, participating students will be provided opportunities to engage with various STEM educational partners located throughout the community to mentor and assist them with their app development. Students entering the challenge must provide a YouTube video demo explaining their app and what they learned through this competition process.

The submitted apps will be judged by an appointed panel of individuals within the academic, software and entrepreneurial fields. The winning student’s app in each participating congressional district will be featured on the U.S. House of Representatives’ website, as well as on display in a U.S. Capitol exhibit. Additional details can be found at congressionalappchallenge.us.

Submission Requirements:

Students may submit their apps any time between July 18 and November 2, 2016.

The app students create may cover any topic, but they must:
- Be original and appropriate.
- Have been created within the calendar year prior to the Challenge closing date (i.e.after Nov. 2, 2015.)

To complete a submission, students must submit the following:

Sign-up Form. Students must fill out a sign-up form so their eligibility can be verified.
- If students are competing as part of a team, the sign-up form must include the relevant information from each student.
App Information. Students will be asked to answer a series of questions including:
- Title of the app
- The coding language used
- What they were trying to accomplish and why
- An explanation of a difficulty they faced in programming the app and how it was overcome
- What improvements the students would make if they were going to create a version 2.0 of their app.
Demonstration Video. Students must create a 1 to no more than 3 minute video, post it on YouTube or Vimeo, and submit the link on the Congressional App. Challenge submission form. The video must be set up to public view. Videos that are longer than 3 minutes will be penalized per the judges’ discretion.
Exit Questionnaire. The exit questionnaire will be emailed to all students following the submission of their app.