Congressional App Challenge Will Return To NJ-11: Student Competition Seeks To Reward STEM Prowess

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Got a good idea for a computer or phone app? If you’re a middle or high school student in New Jersey’s 11th district, it might score you a victory in an annual Congressional App Challenge.

Last week, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill announced that her office will bring back a local version of the national student competition for a seventh year.

Students with all levels of coding experience are encouraged to participate. Computer programs (or apps) can be written in any programming language, for any platform (desktop/PC, web, mobile, raspberry Pi or others).

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges from New Jersey’s 11th District and recognized by Sherrill. Their apps are eligible to be featured on display in the U.S. Capitol building, on www.house.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge website.

The deadline to submit an app is Oct. 28.

The full set of eligibility rules for individual and team entries can be found online here. To register for the competition, click here. Learn more about the NJ-11 competition here.

The competition is open to middle school and high school students who live or attend school in the 11th district, which includes the following municipalities:

• Essex County – Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange, West Caldwell
• Morris County – Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens
• Passaic County – Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part), Woodland Park

“Every year, the Congressional App Challenge allows students to combine their STEM talents with their individual creativity, and design something amazing,” Sherrill said.

“I look forward to seeing the great submissions from NJ-11, from new games to solving problems in their communities,” the congresswoman added.

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