Langevin launches app-design contest for district high schoolers

U.S. REP. JAMES R. LANGEVIN announced Friday that high school students in his district are eligible to participate in a nationwide app-design competition. Winners will be recognized at a district awards ceremony in May.
U.S. REP. JAMES R. LANGEVIN announced Friday that high school students in his district are eligible to participate in a nationwide app-design competition. Winners will be recognized at a district awards ceremony in May.

(Updated, 5:02 p.m.)

WASHINGTON – High school students who live or attend school in Rhode Island’s second congressional district are eligible to participate in the House Student App Challenge, a nationwide event designed to promote innovation and engagement in STEM education fields.

U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin announced Friday that his district would join in the event, which invites high school students to compete by creating their own software applications for desktop, mobile or tablet devices.

“As co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, I believe that we must support programs and initiatives that produce a skilled workforce capable of remaining competitive in high-wage, high-skill careers, such as those involving the STEM disciplines,” said Langevin in a statement. “It is estimated that there will be an additional 8.5 million STEM job opportunities created in the next decade, so it is crucial that we prepare our young people to be successful in these in-demand careers. A skilled workforce is essential to making Rhode Island a desirable place to open and grow a business, and that work must start in the classroom.”

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Eligible students can participate as individuals or on teams of up to four students, and app entries are being accepted now through April 30. In addition to providing the app source code, students must also create a YouTube or Vimeo video explaining how the app works and what they learned through the competition.

Completed apps will be judged by a panel of Rhode Island technology professionals and evaluated on the basis of concept, implementation and impact. Langevin will recognize the winning developer or team of developers at a district awards presentation in May, and the winning app will be featured on the U.S. House of Representatives website.

The House Student App Challenge, also known as the Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Academic Competition, was established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, and this year marks the first annual competition. Members of Congress must opt-in for their district to participate, and only students in participating districts are eligible to compete.

Rhode Island’s first congressional district, represented by U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline, will also participate in the 2014 competition and will launch its own competition and begin accepting applications in the coming weeks, according to a spokesperson from Cicilline’s office.

For more information on eligibility and contest rules, or to register for the competition, visit http://langevin.house.gov/serving-you/stem-competition.

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