Washington, We Have Liftoff: Congress Launches 2024 App Challenge

May 1, 2024

Yesterday, Congress is launching its 10th Congressional App Challenge, marking a historic moment STEM on Capitol Hill. Over the past nine years, 58,000 students from all 50 states have competed as part of the Congressional App Challenge – innovating solutions for communities across the country and changing the way Congress thinks about CS Education. Over 325 Members of Congress have already signed up for the 2024 challenge with dozens more expected in the coming weeks.

In 2023, 85% of Congress across all 50 states hosted App Challenges – our largest year yet! One-third of 2023 Congressional App Challenges occurred in rural districts and over 25% of App Challengers used AI to code their projects. 89% of 2023 participants say that they are interested in pursuing a future in STEM because of their participation in the App Challenge and 88% of participants said that they will continue coding in the future.

After competing in the Congressional App Challenge, a majority of participants go on to strengthen the domestic pipeline of diverse STEM talent in communities across the country. According to our most recent alumni survey, 54% of college-aged alumni are studying Computer Science in college and 83% of college-aged alumni are majoring in a STEM field.

The power of the Congressional App Challenge lies in its unique design. As an official initiative of the House of Representatives, this program leverages the imprimatur of Congress for an unrivaled program reach. As each hosting Member of Congress names a winner to represent their district, this guarantees that every community across the country has an opportunity to Code for Congress.

118th Congressional Co-chair Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36) will continue to lead the Congressional App Challenge in 2024, looking to build on the success of of the 2023 competition.

Students across the nation are invited to participate in the 2024 Congressional App Challenge! This exciting opportunity allows students to showcase their creativity and coding skills by developing innovative applications for Congress. By clicking the registration button above, students can sign up and begin coding for Congress! The deadline for submissions is set for October 24th, 2024, providing ample time for students to brainstorm, design, and refine their apps. Don’t miss out on this chance to make a difference through technology!