Here’s a chance for students to create an app and strut their stuff in Oregon and to be on display in the US Capitol. In brief:

• one to four students,
  • not yet graduated from high school,
  • no minimum age,
  • two of whom are in the participating representative’s district
• app written after November 2, 2015
• your choice of app platform (phone, tablet, computer), programming language, and functionality
• short video submission via YouTube, Vimeo or other publicly viewable platform
• short answers to questions about the app and its development

See more details on eligibility, submission process, and rules.

Special invite from Congressman Greg Walden:

“U.S. Representative Greg Walden is participating in this year’s Congressional App Challenge, and invites tech-savvy high school students across central, southern, and eastern Oregon to put their creativity to the test. This annual nationwide event, now in its third year, is designed to encourage students to embrace computer science and shines a light on the growing importance of STEM education.

Students from Oregon’s Second District must create and exhibit their own original software application, or “app”, on mobile, tablet, or computer devices to be judged by a panel of local tech experts who will decide the winner.  The winning student’s app will be featured in the national student exhibit in the U.S. Capitol among the best apps in the country, as well as recognized in Oregon.

Interested students need to submit a YouTube or VIMEO video demo explaining their app and what they learned, as well as the app’s source code. The deadline for this year’s Congressional App Challenge is November 2, 2016. For additional details and steps to enter, please visit Rep. Walden’s website at http://www.walden.house.gov/appchallenge or call the office 202-225-6730.”

What about Oregon’s other Congressional Districts?

• Peter DeFazio has signed up for the App Challenge.
• Update: Suzanne Bonamici signed up; for the 2015 Congressional App Challenge, her office provided these Resources for Students and Teachers
  • Code.org
  • 36 Resources To Help You Teach Kids Programming
  • CodeAcademy.COM self-taught courses in HTML/CSS, Python, Ruby, and PHP
  • Scratch a simple visual programming language
  • Alice is used to create 3D animations
  • Development Kits:
    • Apple iOS Developer Program
    • Android- Develop for Android
• Update: Earl Blumenauer has signed up.
• I have not been able to verify that Schrader signed up for 2016, but will do so.

Thanks to Representative Walden’s office for letting us know about the Congressional App Challenge!

Respectfully submitted,
Jo Oshiro
jo@oregoncsta.org

Update: Confirmed Bonamici, Blumenauer