Major STEM Milestone: We’ve Reached a Majority In The U.S. House / Congressional Black Caucus

More Than Half of U.S. House Members (and 1/2 of Congressional Black Caucus Members) Now Hosting Coding Contest for District Students

In less than 3 years, the Congressional App Challenge has hit a major milestone now that 223 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are hosting youth coding contests in their respective districts — that’s a majority of the Members in the House in bipartisan fashion!

This milestone represents coding opportunities for more than half the United State’s population. Acknowledging the need for STEM and Computer Science education, Members of Congress and their Congressional staff are serving their communities across America to inspire students to code. This year, the Congressional App Challenge, which is in 43 states, DC and 2 U.S. Territories, has achieved significant growth in both Member participation and student engagement.

Additionally, the Congressional App Challenge’s focus on diversity & inclusion has yielded noteworthy results: we’re proud to announce a majority of the Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are hosting App Challenges this year. “While our student participants’ diversity numbers have far exceeded the tech industry’s, we expect to reach an even wider spectrum of students thanks to support from Members of the Congressional Black Caucus,” said App Challenge Director Rachel Decoste. Decoste, a Software Engineer and woman of color, not only coordinates the Congressional App Challenge but also serves an inspiration to students.

Coordinating 223 distinct coding contests requires enormous effort and expertise. To support our goal to reach all 435 congressional districts with a proven initiative that yields tangible results in the areas of tech inclusion with your end-of-year contributions or with your 2018 charitable giving, please consider the Congressional App Challenge. Contact Pamela Strother at [email protected] for to learn how you can support these contests.