Congressman Chris Van Hollen

Representing the 8th District of Maryland

2016 App Challenge

Congressional App Challenge Banner

Invitation to Students (PDF)  |  Flyer (PDF)  |  Guidelines (PDF)  

We are pleased to announce that the Congressional App Challenge, a competition designed to engage student creativity and promote their participation in computer science and coding, will take place from July 18th to November 2nd this year.

Established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, this nationwide effort allows students to compete against their peers by creating and an application or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices. The Challenge is designed to promote innovation and engagement in coding and computer science.

The Congressional App Challenge is open to all students in the 8th Congressional District of Maryland. Students entering the competition must submit their app to Challenge.gov during the Competition Submission Period between 12 PM (noon) Eastern Standard Time on JULY 18th, 2016, and 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Daylight Time on NOVEMBER 2nd, 2016.

Submissions will be judged 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.

The winner from the 8th Congressional District, chosen by a 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.

For more information, please visit the official Congressional App Challenge website at CongressionalAppChallenge.us or contact Ms. Austin Morris at austin.morris@mail.house.gov or (301) 424-3501.

To Register

Registration will open for students on July 18th. Students in high school and below are eligible to compete, as long as they live or attend school in the 8th Congressional District. All participating students must register on CongressionalAppChallenge.us.