Congressional App Challenge

2021 Congressional App Challenge

The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is a competition aimed at encouraging U.S. middle and high school students to learn how to code by creating their own apps for a mobile device. The CAC is intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and encourage students to engage in these fields. By encouraging and recognizing our nation’s young programming talent, Congress hopes to shine a light on the growing importance of these skills. CAC participants, either as individuals or as teams of up to four, work to create and submit their own software application for mobile, tablet, or other computing devices on a platform of their choice. A panel of local computer science professionals and congressional representatives will judge the apps, and the winners will have the honor of being recognized by Congressman Banks.

The deadline to enter your app is Monday, November 1, 2021. Try to register before October 8, 2021 (registration indicates your intent to compete). Early registration significantly increases the chances for a successful challenge. Early registration does not obligate you to submit an app.  

Important Details

1. Submissions may be from individuals or groups consisting of up to four people, two of whom must be from the 3rd congressional district.
2. Participants must register here before submitting their materials.
3. Competition is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of coding experience.

Required Submission Materials

1. Title of the app.
2. Coding language used.
3. Description of the issue the app tackles? (350 words)
4. What sort of challenges participants faced in creating the app? (1500 words)
5. What changes would participants make when constructing a second version of the app? (750 words)
6. Demonstration video (must be less than 3 minutes)

Winners will be chosen based on originality, app design, and quality of coding. Additional information on the submission of an app and rules for the competition will be updated here. The competition is open to students of all abilities, if you have any interest we encourage you to review these online resources.

The winner from the Third Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us, and the winning app will also be eligible to be on display in the U.S. Capitol, honoring the winners from across the country. For more information, please visit the official Congressional App Challenge website at CongressionalAppChallenge.us or contact our office at (260) 702-4750.