Congressional App Challenge

Each fall, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives host the Congressional App Challenge, a nationwide competition that inspires middle and high school students to learn coding, explore STEM, and showcase their creativity. One winning app will be selected to represent California’s 45th Congressional District.

The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle and high school students who live or attend school in California’s 45th Congressional District. This annual competition encourages students to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by creating their own original software applications.

The winning app from our district’s competition will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year and featured on the official Congressional App Challenge webpage. Winners will also receive a Copyright Fee Waiver provided through the ARTS Act, and an invitation to #HouseOfCode, a celebration held in Washington, D.C. that honors the top student coders from across the country.

The following is a summary of the Congressional App Challenge rules:

Eligibility:
Students must be enrolled in middle or high school as of October 24, 2024. They must either reside in or attend school in the 45th Congressional District. Students can participate as individuals or in teams of up to four members. At least half of any team must live or go to school within the district. There is no citizenship requirement, but students must be U.S. residents.
Registration and Deadlines:
Registration for the 2025 competition opened on May 1, 2025, and will remain open until October 30, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time.
App Development Requirements:
Apps must be original, demonstrate a functional component, and must be coded between October 24, 2024, and October 30, 2025.
Submission Rules:
Each student may submit only one app per competition year, whether as an individual or as part of a team. Apps created before the eligible coding period or submitted by students who participate in more than one team will not be accepted.

App Parameters:

Topic: The app can be about any topic.
Platform: The app can be on any platform (web app, desktop/PC app, a web browser extension, robot, Ruby on Rails, mobile, etc).
Programming Language: Use any programming language: C/C++, Objective C, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Swift, "block code", etc.
Functionality: The app must have some degree of functionality to be competitive.
Originality: The app must be original and solely owned by the Contestant such that no other party has any rights or interest, whether known or unknown.

If you would like to learn more, register, or submit an app, please visit the official Congressional App Challenge website.