This year marks the first annual Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academic Competition, the “House Student App Challenge.”  This new competition is designed to engage student’s creativity and encourage their participation in STEM education fields.  Established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, this competition is 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.  Throughout the completion period, participating students will be provided opportunities to engage with various STEM educational partners located within the community to mentor and assist them with their app development.  

The “House Student App Challenge” is open to all high school students in the Third District. Students entering the competition must submit their app’s source code online during the Competition Submission Period between 10 AM Mountain Standard Time on FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014, and 10 PM Mountain Daylight Time on May 31st, 2014, as well as provide a YouTube or VIMEO video demo explaining their app and what they learned through this competition process.

Can I Participate?

The Competition is open only to high school students who reside in a participating district or who are eligible to attend public high school in that district. Individuals submitting on behalf of teams must meet the eligibility requirements for individual Contestants. Find out if I am eligible.

To Register

To enter, the student must create an account on www.challengepost.com and then register for the House Student App Challenge under their participating Member of Congress’ profile during the Competition Submission Period. All entries must be an original in concept, design and execution.

1. Register for the House Student App Challenge
2. Register at http://www.challengepost.com

Resources for Students and Teachers

• Code.org
• 36 Resources To Help You Teach Kids Programming
• CodeAcademy.COM self-taught courses in HTML/CSS, Python, Ruby, and PHP
• MIT App Inventor tutorial to develop mobile apps on Android phones.
• MIT App Inventor's Guide to Creating Challenge-Worthy Apps
• Scratch a simple visual programming language
• Alice is used to create 3D animations
• Computer Science Teachers Association
• Development Kits:
  • Apple iOS Developer Program
  • Android- Develop for Android
  • Windows Apps

House Student App Challenge FAQs

What is the House Student App Challenge?

Established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, the House Student App Challenge is a nationwide event that invites 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 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education fields.   

Who can participate?

High school students who live in or are eligible to attend public schools located in the 3rd Congressional District can participate. To confirm your eligibility, please visit StudentAppChallenge.house.gov. Participants must be at least 13 years old as of February 1, 2014.

Can home-schooled students participate?

Yes. Any high school student who lives in the 3rd Congressional District or is eligible to attend public high 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 the 3rd Congressional District.

When can I register and how can I submit my entry?

Participating students must first confirm eligibility and register at StudentAppChallenge.house.gov. Beginning on February 1st, students can create an account on ChallengePost.com and submit an entry for the House Student App Challenge. All entries must be an original in concept, design and execution.

When will the contest occur?

Students can register from February 1, 2014 until April 30, 2014. Judging will take place in May and district winners will be posted on House.gov in June.

What must contestants submit for consideration?

Participating students must submit a demonstration video of their app with an entry form.  The source code for the app must be available for inspection by the judges.

How will my app be judged?

Apps will be judged based on the following criteria:

a)    Quality of the idea, including creativity and originality;
b)    Implementation of the idea, including user experience and design; and
c)    Demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.


How will the winners be recognized?

The winner from 3rd Congressional District will be featured on StudentAppChallenge.house.gov, and the winning app will also be on display in the U.S. Capitol to honor the winners from across the country.