Press Releases

• Challenge Webpage 

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today invited high school students in Maine’s 1st District to participate in the Congressional App Challenge.  Students have until January 15, 2016, to develop and submit their apps, which will be judged by a panel of experts convened by the Maine Technology Institute.

“I applaud how Maine schools are using STEM education to prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow.  This competition is an exciting opportunity to put those skills to the test while learning how to develop the smartphone apps we use every day,” said Pingree.  “I hope students give it a shot—I can’t wait to see what they come up with.  My thanks to the Maine Technology Institute for their help in connecting Maine’s tech community with the competition.”

Students must live or attend a high school in Maine’s 1st District to be eligible for the competition. They can participate as individuals or in a team of up to four.  In addition to the app, students must also submit a 3-4 minute video explaining their app and how it works. 

The deadline for submissions is midnight on Friday, January 15, 2016.  A winner for Pingree’s District will be announced in February.

The apps can cover any topic. They will be judged on 1) the creativity and originality of the app idea; 2) user experience and design of the idea’s implementation; and 3) quality of coding and programming. 

Information about the competition—including links to coding resources and submission instructions—can be found on Pingree’s website, www.pingree.house.gov/appchallenge. 

This is the second year Congressional offices around the country are participating in the challenge, which is coordinated by the Internet Education Foundation.