National App Challenge Day: On the Hill and Online Next Thursday 🗓️

 

Mark your calendars! The very first National App Challenge Day is happening next Thursday, September 19th, and it’s all about shining a light on the amazing work being done by talented students across the country. This day isn’t just about celebrating young coders—it’s about recognizing the power of STEM education to transform lives and drive innovation.

We hope you can take part in the inaugural National App Challenge Day by joining us at Congressional Hackathon 6.0 or taking part in our social media campaign.

Join us for Congressional Hackathon 6.0

In celebration of National App Challenge Day, Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Hakeem Jeffries have invited Congressional App Challenge Alumni to take part in the Congressional Hackathon 6.0 on September 19th. The App Challenge will have an outsized role at the Hackathon – where technologists meet policymakers and work on how to innovate Congress – and we hope you can join us for this momentous occasion.

Four teams of App Challenge Alumni will be making lightning presentations on technical ideas to improve Congress. Here’s a quick rundown of their pitches:

Dealmaker: Less Dealbreakers, More Compromise presented by Aum Dhruv (Princeton University) and Nick Harty (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Dealmaker is a web app to help Congress analyzes bills, predicts voting outcomes, and suggests revisions to gain support, using Congressional data to identify key issues and potential compromises.

The Constituent Roundup presented by Sajal Shukla (University of Illinois Chicago)

  • The Congressional Roundup is an AI tool that uses data from each email sent to and phone call made to a Congressional office to summarize the issues being raised by constituents within a legislator’s district.

Policy Dreamer: Imagining Policy Futures presented by Arjun Karanam (Apple)

  • Policy Dreamer uses Large Language Models to enables policymakers to input a proposed policy, generate hypothetical scenarios that could invoke this policy, and infers the effect of the policy in these hypothetical scenarios.

TaskFlow presented by Kaylee Meier (George Washington University)

  • TaskFlow is an app that facilitates task delegation and calendar management within Congressional offices.

Share Your Congressional App Challenge Experience on Social Media

We’d love for you to join us in making this day special by taking to social media. On September 19th, share your thoughts, memories, and enthusiasm for the Congressional App Challenge. And don’t stop there! Highlight the unique connection between your organization and the App Challenge—whether it’s a success story from a former student, a collaboration that made a difference, or the ways this initiative has impacted your community.

Your stories and support can help inspire more students to dive into the world of coding and technology. Let’s come together to celebrate and spread the word!

To Join Our Social Media Campaign:

  1. Post on your official social media accounts during the campaign period

  2. Use the designated hashtags, especially #NationalAppChallengeDay, #CAC2024, #Code4Congress

  3. Tag the Congressional App Challenge on relevant platforms:

    1. TikTok: @congressionalac

    2. Instagram: @congressionalappchallenge

    3. Twitter (X): @CongressionalAC

    4. LinkedIn: Congressional App Challenge

    5. Facebook: Congressional App Challenge

    6. Snap: code4congress

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