Cicilline Announces 2016 Congressional App Challenge for RI Students
PAWTUCKET – As Rhode Island families get ready for the start of the 2016-2017 school year, U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (D-RI) is encouraging students who reside or attend school in the First Congressional District to take part in the 2016 Congressional App Challenge by designing an app for mobile, tablet, or personal computers on a platform of their choice.
“I’m very excited that my office is providing young people with an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and learn more about coding and technology,” said Cicilline. “From Uber to Venmo to Amazon Kindle, apps are becoming more and more prominent not only in our daily lives but in our local and national economy as well. I look forward to reviewing the apps created by students later this year.”
Established in 2013, the Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide event open to all students who have not yet graduated high school. The competition encourages students to get involved in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Students are allowed to compete individually or in teams of up to four people. In addition to submitting an app for the Congressional App Challenge, students will also prepare a video explaining what they learning during the competition.
Interested students can register for the 2016 Congressional App Challenge at http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us or by contacting Tatiana Baena in Congressman Cicilline’s office at 729-5600. The deadline for submissions is November 2nd, 2016 – apps will be judged by a panel local experts in the academic, software, and entrepreneurial fields.
The winning app will be announced in December and the student, or team of students, will have their app featured on the U.S. House of Representatives website, as well as in an exhibit in the U.S. Capitol. Additional resources for students interested in participating are available at http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/educational-resources/for-students.
As a member of the Congressional STEAM Caucus, and a co-sponsor of the Stepping Up to STEM Education Act (H.R. 565) and the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act (H.R. 2773), Cicilline has championed efforts to expand access to STEM and STEAM education during his time in Congress. Today, he serves on the U.S. House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, which has jurisdiction over information technology and patent and trademark law.