Press Releases

Congressman Norman Hosts Congressional App Challenge

Washington, June 1, 2018

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05) is excited to announce that he will be hosting a Congressional App Challenge (CAC), an app competition for students in middle and high school.

The CAC accepts computer programs (or apps) written in any programming language, for any platform (desktop/PC, web, mobile, raspberry Pi, etc.).

The Challenge launches June 4th. Students are encouraged to register online by September 10th before submitting their app by October 15. The competition is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of coding experience.

Congressman Norman strongly encourages students of all skill levels to participate, to learn how to create their own apps. Winners will be selected by panels of judges, drawn from the local community, and honored by the Congressman. Their apps are eligible to be featured on a display in the U.S. Capitol building, on house.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge website.

The CAC was created because Congress recognized that STEM and computer-based skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. By some estimates, the U.S. may be short by many as a million programmers by 2020. These are high-paying, high-demand jobs. To maintain American competitiveness, it’s crucial that the United States invests in our youth now, and helps them acquire these valuable skills. The CAC encourages students to pursue those skills and recognizes them for their efforts.

Recognizing the racial, gendered, and other disparities in the tech sector, the CAC also focuses on inclusivity and making the Challenge as accessible as possible to people from all backgrounds. Deliberate efforts will be made to include students from all backgrounds, including those traditionally underrepresented in tech.

The Internet Education Foundation will be serving as the operational “sponsor” of the CAC. For further information about the Congressional App Challenge, please visit www.CongressionalAppChallenge.us.