Congressional App Challenge

The 2024 Congressional App Challenge is now open! The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition designed to encourage students’ creativity and participation in STEM education fields. The winner from the 13th Congressional District will be chosen by a panel of expert judges and featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will be eligible for display in the U.S. Capitol, and the winning students are invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington, DC honoring the winners from across the country. 

Guidelines: 

  • Student competitors must be in either middle or high school.   
  • Students must either live or go to school in a registered district.  
  • Students may compete as individuals or as teams of four. At least half of the students must live or go to school within a registered district to compete.  
  • Students may create any application they want, on any platform, using any programming language. There is no limit to their creativity! 

Not sure of your congressional district or who your member is? CLICK HERE   

To view complete rules and regulations CLICK HERE

Students may submit apps they created prior to the challenge, as long as their apps meet the standards of eligibility and were created within one year of the submission deadline. 

A complete submission will include the following components: 

  • Registration Form  
  • Application Elements  
  • Demonstration  
  • Exit Questionnaire 

Students entering the competition must submit their app to congressionalappchallenge.us 

Important Dates:  

  • May 1, 2024 – Registration for the 2024 App Challenge opens 
  • October 24, 2024 – Submission deadline  
  • November 1, 2024 – Judging period  
  • December 6, 2024 – Congressional App Challenge Demo Day (winner announced)  
  • Spring 2025 – #HouseofCode 2025 reception held in Washington DC for the winners of each congressional district. 

2023 Congressional App Challenge:

Navtej Bhatti, a 10th grader at Glenwood High School, was the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Illinois’s 13th District with his app “Pecto.” His app targets high school and college students by allowing them to create flashcards with AI features.

If you have any further questions, please email McKayla Bartkiewicz at mckayla.bartkiewicz@mail.house.gov