Hello,
The Office of Congresswoman Norma Torres is excited to encourage Inland Empire students to participate in the 2025 Congressional App Challenge, the nation’s largest student coding competition. Submissions are open now, and we would be thrilled to see entries from your classes in our community.
What it is
Students design and build any software application, for any platform. Web, mobile, desktop, AR/VR, wearables, robotics, and embedded systems are all welcome. Any programming language works, including block-based environments. Apps should show real functionality and be student-built.
Students design and build any software application, for any platform. Web, mobile, desktop, AR/VR, wearables, robotics, and embedded systems are all welcome. Any programming language works, including block-based environments. Apps should show real functionality and be student-built.
Who can participate
- Students enrolled in middle or high school on October 30, 2025.
- Students may compete in the congressional district where they live or where they attend school, but only one district total.
- Students can work solo or in teams of up to four. At least half the team must live or attend school in the same congressional district.
Key dates
- Submission window: May 1 through Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 12:00 pm EDT.
How to submit
Students register and submit at [congressionalappchallenge.us]congressionalappchallenge.us. Each submission includes brief written responses and a 1–3 minute public demo video hosted on YouTube or Vimeo that shows the app’s purpose, audience, tools used, and live functionality.
Students register and submit at [congressionalappchallenge.us]congressionalappchallenge.us. Each submission includes brief written responses and a 1–3 minute public demo video hosted on YouTube or Vimeo that shows the app’s purpose, audience, tools used, and live functionality.
Prizes and recognition
District winners are featured on [House.gov]House.gov and [CongressionalAppChallenge.us]CongressionalAppChallenge.us. Additional district-level recognition may be provided.
District winners are featured on [House.gov]House.gov and [CongressionalAppChallenge.us]CongressionalAppChallenge.us. Additional district-level recognition may be provided.
Teacher tips to get students started
- Offer extra credit for a completed demo video and submission.
- Encourage teams of two to four so students can divide roles.
- Point students to past project examples and have them practice a one-sentence “what our app does” pitch.
- Remind them to keep their demo video clear and within the time limit. Judges focus on the app, not video production value.
For more information or to have me come out to your campus for a presentation on the app challenge, please feel free to reach out to [email protected]. Please note, I will not be able to dedicate more than ~30 minutes for a presentation, so if you have multiple computer science classes, I would only be able to present to one on any particular day.