Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard today announced that she is accepting submissions from Hawaii middle and high school students for the 2019 Congressional App Challenge (CAC), a nationwide app competition.

“The United States may be short as many as 1 million coders by 2020,” Gabbard said. “The Congressional App Competition is an opportunity for Hawaii’s students to showcase their talents and creativity, while exploring opportunities for success in America’s rapidly changing, technology-driven, 21st century economy.”

Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this nationwide effort allows students to compete against their peers by creating an app for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi or other devices. The Challenge is designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science.

Students of all skill levels are encouraged to participate and learn how to create their own apps. Winners will be selected by panels of judges, drawn from the community in Hawaii, and honored by Gabbard. Their apps are eligible to be featured on display in the U.S. Capitol building, on house.gov and on the Congressional App Challenge website.

The Challenge’s submission portal is now open. Students are encouraged to register at CongressionalAppChallenge.us and submit their app by November 1st. The competition is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of coding experience.