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Middle and high school students in the 18th Congressional District, which includes Palo Alto, Menlo Park and other neighboring cities, are invited to participate in U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo’s annual Congressional App Challenge. The contest officially launched this week, and submissions will be accepted through Nov. 1, according to a press release issued Monday.
A bipartisan initiative between Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, the first contest was held in 2014 and was established in an effort to engage more students in science, technology, engineering and math. Since then, the competition has grown to include 222 congressional districts across 46 states.
To enter the competition, students must register on the contest’s website and upload a short video about their app on either YouTube or Vimeo. Students can submit as individuals or as part of a team of up to four people, and must either reside or attend school within the 18th Congressional District. The apps will be evaluated by a panel of judges within the academic, software and entrepreneurial industries. The winning team will receive a $250 Amazon gift card and their app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol building and on the House.gov website.
Menlo-Atherton senior Anna Quinlan won last year’s competition with her app, “A Smarter Insulin Pump,” which helps regulate a user’s blood sugar levels by automatically dispensing insulin, notifying them when glucose levels drop too low and calculating the amount of carbohydrates they need to consume to return to normal levels. She was also invited to Washington, D.C. to present her work to the House of Representatives.
More information about the contest can be found at eshoo.house.gov or [https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/?p=1782 congressionalappchallenge.us.