Congressional App Challenge

Each fall, a nation-wide middle and high school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)—competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional App Challenge is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the STEM talent across the nation, as well as in our Congressional District. Each participating Member of Congress will name a winner to represent their district.

The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle and high school students in our District. The winning app of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol, a Copyright Fee Waiver provided through the ARTS Act, their app featured on the Congressional App Challenge webpage, and an invitation to attend a winner's celebration inside the U.S. Capitol called #HouseOfCode. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional App Challenge page.

You can register for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge on their official form here. The deadline is October 30, 2025, by 12:00 PM EDT.

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

Eligibility Criteria:

  • AGE: Students must be in middle school or high school on October 30, 2025.
  • LOCATION: Students may compete in either the district in which they reside, or the district in which they attend school. Participants may compete only in one single district. There is no citizenship requirement, but all students competing in the Congressional App Challenge must be U.S. residents.
  • TEAMS: Students can compete as individuals, or in teams of up to four (4) students.
    • Any team with more than four (4) students is not eligible to compete.
    • At least half of teammates on any team must live or attend school in the same Congressional District.
  • PRIOR PROJECTS: Students may submit any app they've created after October 24, 2024. If submitting a 2.0 version of an app, only the new coding should be highlighted for consideration.
  • ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER YEAR: Students may only submit ONE app per year. Multiple entries across multiple teams is not allowed.

App Parameters:

  • TOPIC: The app can be about any topic.
  • PLATFORM: The app can be developed for any platform, including but not limited to web app, desktop/PC apps, mobile apps, web
    browser extension, robots, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), wearable devices, smart devices, and embedded systems.
  • PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE: Participants may use any programming language, including but not limited to C, C++, Objective C, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Swift, and block-based coding languages.
  • FUNCTIONALITY: The app must have some degree of functionality to be competitive.
  • CONTENT SUITABILITY: The app must adhere to standards of decency and respect. It must not be indecent, defamatory, in obvious bad taste, or demonstrate a lack of respect for public morals or conduct. The app must not adversely affect the reputation of Congressional districts, depict hatred, defame, or threaten any specific community, or incite violence. Apps containing pornography, obscenity, or sexual activity are strictly prohibited. Additionally, the app must not violate any Intellectual Property, common law, or privacy rights of third parties
  • ORIGINALITY: The app must be original and solely created by the contestant. All coding and technical development must be done by the student or student team. While participants may use open-source libraries, frameworks, and external tools, they must clearly document any such usage and ensure their project reflects significant personal effort and technical understanding. No other party should have any rights or interest in the app, whether known or unknown.
  • AI USAGE: The use of AI tools in app development for the Congressional App Challenge is permitted, provided that all AI usage is fully disclosed in the submission materials. AI may only be used to support specific aspects of the project and must not constitute the entirety of the technical development. Participants are expected to demonstrate significant individual contributions and technical understanding of their app.

If you would like more information on the annual Congressional App Challenge, please visit their website. The deadline is October 30, 2025, by 12:00 PM EDT.