Create An App For Congress, Queens Lawmaker Urges Local Students

QUEENS, NY — Queens' youngest coders and computer scientists could soon have their work showcased in front of the nation's top lawmakers.

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng urged middle and high schoolers in her district, which includes Bayside, to create and submit an original app to the Congressional App Challenge, an annual coding contest.

Students can design an app of any theme or topic individually or in a team of up to four people using any programming language, according to the guidelines.

Winners in Queens will have their apps showcased in front of millions of people, both on display in the Capitol and on the House of Representatives' website. The winning students will also get to present their apps to members of Congress at a reception on Capitol Hill next year.

Meng described the contest as an "exceptional and exciting opportunity for local students to showcase their coding and tech skills and compete for a winning spot on the national stage."

"I look forward to seeing the different apps that students submit, and highlighting the great creativity and tech talent that exists in our communities," she said.

To compete, students need to register online and submit an app by Nov. 1. In addition to creating the app, participating students need to upload a demo video explaining its purpose and how it works.

The winner in Meng's district will be selected by a panel of local judges in December, the congresswoman announced. All participating students, though, will win a certificate of congressional recognition.

Last year, Nickolas Koe, a student at Townsend Harris High School in Queensboro Hill, won Meng's contest for an app titled "StudyCoordinator," which helped students organize and focus on schoolwork during the pandemic.

This isn't the first time Meng has worked to showcase the talents of students in her 6th Congressional District: Earlier this year the Queens leader participated in another congressional contest focused on visual arts, which was won by a Bayside High School student.