Encouraging Youth to Participate in the 2019 Congressional App Challenge

One of my favorite things about being a member of Congress is meeting with talented students from the Fourth District. I am always amazed at the variety of art, literature, community projects and research from young Arkansans. That's why I'm excited to announce that registration for the 2019 Congressional App Challenge is now open to any middle or high school student in my district.

If you're unfamiliar with the App Challenge, this is a chance for young people interested in Science, Technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields – particularly computer science – to design their own app. Students can work individually or as teams to design, code and test their apps, and the winning student or team is invited to D.C. to present their app. The winning apps are also displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year.

Last year, talented students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA) won with their "Find My Teacher" app. When they came to D.C., they showed me how students new to school or to a particular class could use the app to easily locate teachers and classrooms. Their app also conveniently listed office hours, study groups and other helpful information all in once spot. I told them they should create a similar app to help members of Congress find each other in the Capitol!

If you or anyone you know is interested in registering for the challenge, visit www.congressionalappchallenge.us. The website also lists all the details and requirements for the competition. I look forward to seeing the Fourth District's submissions this year.