Replit and the CAC: Coding for Change
This is a repost of Lena Vu Sawyer ‘s blog on the Replit website. Check out the original post here!
Replit and Congressional App Challenge are joining efforts to increase Computer Science literacy and access in the U.S.
At Replit, we believe deeply in the equalizing and empowering potential of computer programming. That’s why we’re collaborating with the Congressional App Challenge to improve Computer Science literacy among middle and high schoolers in the U.S.
Every year, the Congressional App Challenge offers students across the U.S. the opportunity to create and submit their original apps for a chance to be recognized by their local Representatives and at the U.S. Capitol Building. Students can build projects in any programming language, on any platform, about a topic of their choice.
Replit helps by offering young learners the ability to work on code from anywhere, on any device. Students and their teams can easily build and collaborate on projects in over 50 languages from their phones, tablets, and computers. In fact, nearly 20% of Replit’s users build on their mobile device!
In addition to improving access to CS tools, Replit and the Congressional App Challenge aim to inspire young people of all backgrounds to pursue CS in ways that are meaningful to them. Over 40% of Congressional App Challenge participants in 2020 described themselves as beginners! Plus, when people are learning how to code for the first time, they think of Replit. It’s approachable and beginner friendly and scales with them as they learn more and grow.
By combining personally relevant projects on an accessible and easy-to-use platform, young people are making a difference in the world with their digital innovations and ideas.
Already, Replit has been used by Congressional App Challenge participants in projects such as AbilityX, ClubSpace, Cooklify, and Vote Genius. Each of these submissions demonstrates the world-changing ideas that young developers can offer as well as the range of possibilities that can flourish with the right tools and resources.
Replit will be offering a workshop for Congressional App Challenge participants on September 29 as well as a series of live mentoring sessions with Replit engineers throughout the Fall.
Students can register for the Congressional App Challenge and get started on Replit for free today!