Congressman Jeff Van Drew has announced that his office is hosting the 2019 Congressional App Challenge (CAC) for students in Middle and High School in New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District. Students with all levels of coding experience are encouraged to participate.

“The technical skills and innovation highlighted in the Congressional App Competition are crucial for our future workforce, but also to solving the challenges we face as a country today,” said Congressman Jeff Van Drew. “The students of South Jersey have always impressed me with their knowledge, and I know for this App Challenge they will do the same.”

The CAC was created because Congress recognized that STEM and computer-based skills are essential for economic growth and innovation and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. This is an excellent opportunity to develop the skills and innovative spirit needed to create your own apps. The CAC accepts computer programs (or apps) written in any programming language, for any platform (desktop/PC, web, mobile, raspberry Pi, etc.). The full set of eligibility rules for individual and team entries can be found at CongressionalAppChallenge.us.

Winners will be selected by panels of judges drawn from the community and honored by Congressman Jeff Van Drew. Their apps are eligible to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol building, on house.gov and on the Congressional App Challenge website.

Students are urged to register online by September 10, before submitting their app by the November 1 deadline. Visit vandrew.house.gov/services/congressional-app-competition for more information and to apply.