Amo Announces 2024 Congressional App Challenge

PAWTUCKET, RI – Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) announced he is seeking participation in the annual U.S. House of Representatives Congressional App Challenge from students across Rhode Island’s First Congressional district. Any middle school or high school student who lives or attends school in Rhode Island’s First Congressional District is encouraged to take part in the competition by submitting their app. Apps can be written in any programming language (e.g. C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, “block code,” etc.) for any platform (e.g. desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi or other devices). 

“I am delighted to announce this year’s Congressional App Challenge for students in Rhode Island’s First District. This opportunity offers young people the ability to gain real-world experience and develop skills in the cutting-edge field of computer programming,” said Congressman Gabe Amo, a member of the House Committee on Science Space and Technology. “I look forward to seeing the apps that are submitted for this competition by the next generation of digital leaders.”

Interested students can register for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge HERE.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, November 1, 2024. Apps will be judged by a panel of experts. The winning app will be featured on the Congressional App Challenge website and will also be eligible to be on display in the U.S. Capitol. 

Additional resources for interested students interested can be found on the Congressional App Challenge website or by contacting André Herrera at andre.herrera@mail.house.gov or by calling our Pawtucket office at 401-729-5600.

BACKGROUND
In 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives launched the Congressional App Challenge, a nationwide competition aimed at encouraging students to get involved in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Students can compete individually or in teams of up to four people. Students can compete against their peers by submitting an application (also known as an “app”). The Challenge is designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science. In addition to submitting an app for the Congressional App Challenge, students will also prepare a video explaining what they learned during the competition.

As a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Congressman Gabe Amo is proud to support STEM education efforts in Rhode Island and across our nation. Congressman Amo is a co-lead of the bipartisan Literacy in Future Technologies Artificial Intelligence (LIFT AI) Act with Congressman Tom Kean of New Jersey. This bill passed out of the Science, Space, and Technology committee on September 11, 2024 by voice vote. The Lift AI act would:

• Support a grant program within the National Science Foundation for research and development of AI literacy curriculum and evaluation methods for K-12, ensuring that educational materials are learner-centered, project based, and adaptable. 
• Support professional learning opportunities for educators, principals, and school leaders to enhance their AI literacy and proficiency through courses, mentoring, and best practice development. 
• Promote the creation of hands-on learning tools, the integration of AI literacy into existing curriculums, and the development of evaluation tools to assess AI literacy 

This legislation is supported by the STEM Education Coalition, Code.org, AI&You, Information Technology Industry Council, IBM, Google Public Policy, and Common Sense Media. 

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