Front of the Capitol building

Congressional App Challenge

I am pleased to announce that my office will be participating in the 2022 Congressional App Challenge (CAC). This competition was first officially launched in 2015 by the U.S. House of Representatives and was designed to encourage student participation in STEM, especially in computer science and coding. This nationwide effort allows students to compete alongside other peers by creating an app for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi, or other devices. The Challenge is specifically designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science and is open to all middle and high school students in the 15th Congressional District of Florida.

Official registration for the 2022 Congressional App Challenge will be open from June 15 to November 1.

Students who meet the eligibility requirements can pre-register for the 2022 Congressional App Challenge and start coding their apps here: https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/students/student-registration/

Pre-registered students will be automatically enrolled in the program in June.

The winner from the 15th Congressional District will be chosen by a panel of expert judges from the district and be eligible to be on display in the U.S. Capitol, alongside other winners from across the country, as well as on the House of Representatives website.

For more information, please see the information below, visit the official Congressional App Challenge website at CongressionalAppChallenge.us, or email StudentSupport@CongressionalAppChallenge.us. You may also call my District Director, Alice Hunt, at (863)-732-1073 or email her at Alice.Hunt@mail.house.gov

Submission Rules and Requirements:

To be eligible, you must:

  1. Be currently enrolled in middle or high school.
  2. Live or go to school in the 15th Congressional District of Florida (You may check this here).
  3. Limit your group to 4 members (at least 2 members per group must live or attend school in Florida’s 15th Congressional District).
  4. Meet the to be determined Fall 2022 deadline to submit your app and all other requirements once the date is released in June.
  5. Your app may cover any topic of your choice, but must be appropriate, original, and created within this calendar year.
  6. Your app may be written in any programming language (C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or "block code"), for any platform (desktop/PC, web, mobile, raspberry Pi, etc.).
  7. You and/or your group may only submit one app.

Please visit this link for any questions on eligibility and submission requirements and view the complete Congressional App Challenge Student Handbookhere.

 Resources:

 App Challenge FAQ’s

  • What is the Congressional App Challenge?
    Established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, the Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide event that invites middle and high school students to compete by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice. The competition is designed to engage the creativity of students and encourage their participation in computer science. 
  • Who can participate?
    High school and middle school students who live in or are eligible to attend public schools located in the Florida’s 15th Congressional District can participate. To confirm your eligibility, please visit  http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us.
  • What if I don't live in Florida’s 15th Congressional District? 
    You can enter your home address on  http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us to see if your local Congressman/Congresswoman is participating in the competition. 
  • Can home-schooled students participate?
    Yes. Any middle school or high school student who lives in Florida’s 15th Congressional District or is eligible to attend public school in the district can compete.
  • Can students submit in teams?
    Yes. The maximum team size is four students, two of whom must reside in or be eligible to attend public high school in Florida’s 15th Congressional District.
  • When can I register and how can I submit my entry?
    Now. Participating students must register on  http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us.  All entries must be an original in concept, design and execution.
  • When will the contest judging occur?
    The judging date of the Congressional App Challenge will be announced in the coming months. Those students registered will also receive an email from our office with the judging date.
  • How will my app be judged?
    Apps will be 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.
  • How will the winners be recognized?
    Winners will be recognized in a congressional district awards ceremony with Congressman Franklin and the winning app will also be on display in the U.S. Capitol to honor the winners from across the country.
  • What if I have a question that isn't listed on this list of FAQs?  Contact Alice Hunt at Alice.Hunt@mail.house.gov or at (863)-732-1073 with any further questions on the app challenge.