Congressional App Challenge
What This Is
The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition designed to encourage middle and high school students to explore coding, computer science, and innovation. Each year, Members of Congress host the challenge in their districts to recognize students who are building creative and impactful technology projects.
Colorado’s Third District is full of talented young people with ideas worth building. Whether you are interested in coding, robotics, gaming, engineering, entrepreneurship, or problem-solving, I encourage you to participate.
Winning students receive national recognition, have their app displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year, and are invited to attend the #HouseOfCode celebration in Washington, D.C.
Who Can Participate
- The Congressional App Challenge is open to middle and high school students who live in or attend school in Colorado’s Third Congressional District.
- Students may compete individually or in teams of up to four students. Students of all experience levels are encouraged to participate.
- Apps can be created on any platform and in any programming language.
How the Challenge Works
Students design and build an original app on a topic of their choice and submit it for judging. Projects are evaluated on creativity, functionality, and overall design. Examples include:
- Mobile apps
- Web applications
- Games
- Robotics programming
- Educational tools
- Community problem-solving apps
Parameters for the Challenge
Students may create an original app on any topic, using any platform or programming language, but the app should demonstrate meaningful functionality and must be entirely their own work.
Timeline
Challenge Opens: May 1, 2026
Submission Deadline: October 2026
Winners Announced: Winter 2026
Apply
Students can learn more, review the official rules, and submit their projects here.